ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the Rural Payments Agency has decided to carry out remote sensing mapping induction in Gloucestershire; what the average time taken to process information gathered by the process is; for what reason such processes have delayed the award of single farm payments; and if he will take steps to expedite any payments so delayed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 22 February 2010
	All European Union member states have a requirement to inspect at least 5 per cent. of single payment scheme (SPS) applications each scheme year to confirm eligibility.
	The majority of these eligibility inspections are carried out by RPA using remote sensing. Remote sensing uses very high resolution satellite images to check the land area in a selected zone and then to check it matches what the farmer has claimed for on the SPS application form. The geographical zones to be inspected are selected as far as possible in counties not having been previously selected and this explains why part of Gloucestershire has been included. Claims in these zones are targeted using a risk-based approach.
	RPA employs a specialist contractor to undertake preliminary checks using remote sensing. When the findings reach RPA, they are checked against the SPS claim and the Rural Land Register (RLR) and then if necessary conveyed to the farmers concerned. In previous years remote sensing inspection cases have generally been paid later in the regulatory payment window, which closes on 30 June. This year and because RPA has been more successful in paying farmers earlier non payment of remote sensing cases appears more pronounced.
	Owing to the complex and scientific nature of analysing thousands of hectares of land cover and topography using satellite imagery, RPA inevitably discovers instances where it is difficult to interpret what the imagery is showing, for example because of atmospheric conditions or apparent land use and management changes, which require further clarification with the farmer. This year has also been more complex because of the work to update all of the boundaries, position and accuracy of the land in the RLR.
	RPA must ensure that findings from these inspections are taken fully into account before a claim can be paid, which often necessitates ongoing communications with farmers to reach an accurate outcome. Because of the range of checks on claims some will inevitably take longer than others to complete. Remote sensing processing is being carried out as quickly as possible and RPA is working to make these payments as soon as possible.

Poultry: Animal Feed

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the  (a) public health and  (b) moral and religious implications of undisclosed elements of pork and beef being fed to chickens.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have received no recent representations on these subjects.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

National Heritage Memorial Fund

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding the National Heritage Memorial Fund received from the public purse in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 23 February 2010
	The grant in aid funding figures for the National Heritage Memorial Fund received from my Department in each of the last three full financial years are in the table.
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2006-07 5.0 
			 2007-08 10.0 
			 2008-09 10.0

Public Libraries: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the reason was for the time taken for his Department to determine the application of Birmingham city council for a certificate of immunity from listing in respect of its proposal to redevelop Birmingham Central Library; and for what reason his Department has declined to release documents relating to that decision in response to an application under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Margaret Hodge: The Birmingham Central Library case involved a great deal of detailed consultation and careful consideration of high volumes of correspondence before a decision could be reached.
	All departmental responses to freedom of information requests are handled within the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Where exemptions apply, a full explanation is provided to the applicant.

Radio

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he made of the revenue which would accrue to the Exchequer in circumstances in which Ofcom re-auctioned the three existing independent national radio licences.

Ben Bradshaw: An assessment of the potential revenue was made in the impact assessment which accompanied the draft Digital Economy Bill. This is available at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/digitalbritain_impactassessment.pdf

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register: Expenditure

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2010,  Official Report, column 326W, on electoral register: expenditure, how much was spent on each type of initiative on electoral registration referred to in the answer in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that the figures given in the previous answer were the total expenditure for registration objectives as recorded in its resource accounts for 2007-08 and 2008-09. The Commission further informs me that the expenditure is not recorded by activity in its accounts and that it is not possible to provide the detailed information sought without incurring disproportionate cost.

SCOTLAND

Carbon Sequestration

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the potential effects on the energy industry in Scotland of proposals on carbon capture and storage.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend and I hold regular discussions with ministerial colleagues across Government about a wide range of issues. The Energy Bill allows for the introduction of a carbon capture and storage incentive to support the construction of up to four UK commercial-scale demonstration projects.

Trade: Scotland

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on international trade in Scotland.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.
	The Scotland Office worked closely with DEFRA on the recent Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009. The regulations came into force on 23 November last year and provide a significant step forward in providing extra protection for an important Scottish industry. These Regulations will help safeguard Scotch Whisky from unfair and deceptive practices and will help protect whisky customers across the globe.

JUSTICE

Industrial Disputes: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many industrial tribunal cases are outstanding in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point.

Bridget Prentice: The allocation of claims to an Employment Tribunal office is determined by the postcode of the respondent against whom the claim has been brought. Employment Tribunal claims against respondents based in county of Essex are dealt with by the Bury St. Edmunds, East London and Watford Employment Tribunal offices. Claims against respondents based specifically in the borough of Castle Point are dealt with by the East London Office.
	The following table shows the number of live claims held in each of the offices covering the County of Essex at 31 January 2010:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Bury St. Edmunds 3,349 
			 East London 5,320 
			 Watford 2,599 
			  Source: Tribunals Service internal management information 
		
	
	Claimants from Essex or Castle Point may have brought claims against respondents outside Essex and these claims may be held in other offices depending on the address of the respondents. Statistical information is not collated centrally in relation to such cases.

Prisoners: Nationality

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serving prisoners convicted of each type of offence are recorded as having no nationality, broken down by length of sentence.

Claire Ward: On 30 June 2009, there were 68,375 prisoners under immediate custodial sentence in England and Wales, including 156 prisoners whose nationality was not yet recorded.
	The following table shows these 156 prisoners by type of offence and sentence length.
	
		
			   Less than or equal to six months  Six months to less than 12 months  12 months to less than four years  Four years to indeterminate  Indeterminate  Total 
			 Burglary 1 1 6 8 0 16 
			 Drug offences 0 0 4 12 0 16 
			 Fraud and forgery 5 5 14 1 0 25 
			 Motoring offences 3 0 1 0 0 4 
			 Offence not recorded 5 0 3 3 0 11 
			 Other offences 6 3 2 1 1 13 
			 Robbery 0 0 5 2 0 7 
			 Sexual offences 0 0 1 7 8 16 
			 Theft and handling 5 3 5 0 0 13 
			 Violence against the person 2 2 12 8 13 36 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Voting Rights

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department plans to bring forward legislation to change the law which prevents prisoners from voting in general elections.

Michael Wills: The Government have recently undertaken the second stage consultation on this issue. We are currently considering the responses. The Government will then consider the next steps towards implementing the judgment in legislation.

Prisons: Drugs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of illicit drug seizures within prisons was attributed to  (a) snuffer dogs,  (b) closed circuit television,  (c) strip searches,  (d) intimate searches,  (e) searches of prison cells and  (f) police intelligence in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information is not recorded in the format requested and would require requests for and detailed analysis of data returns from all prisons in England and Wales. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
	The combination and extent to which these methods have been used to seize drugs is specific to individual prisons, and will have varied over time as priorities and tactics have changed and evolved.
	Local searching strategies are based on an individualised assessment of risk while containing mandatory actions set out in the National Offender Management Service's (NOMS) National Security Framework. NOMS searching policy is based on: common law principles of decency; human rights principles of necessity and proportionately; and not subjecting prisoners to degrading treatment.
	An intimate search is defined as a manual search of buccal, anal and/or vaginal cavities. Intimate searching runs a significant risk of causing internal damage, particularly where the subject is non-compliant. Only qualified medical practitioners or registered nurses are able to undertake an intimate examination and will do so only with consent and for health-related reasons.
	NOMS policy on searching in prisons does not permit intimate searches to be conducted. Where prison staff suspects internal concealment, the prisoner may be placed in confinement until the item is produced and/or referred to health care whenever there are concerns about health, for example, due to the concealment of drugs.

Public Sector: Disclosure of Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010,  Official Report, column 734W, on public sector: disclosure of information, if he will list each of the 57 primary requests that have been accepted by the Unlocked Service; and what the status is of each.

Michael Wills: The following 57 requests to the Unlocking Service were accepted:
	
		
			  Asset  Status 
			 DEFRA News Part resolved 
			 Royal Mail PAF Unresolved 
			 Driving Theory Test Questions Part resolved 
			 UKMO rainfall radar and lightning (sferic) location data Part resolved 
			 Planning Inspectorate: Decisions on rights of way orders for Wales Unresolved 
			 Post Office name, address and opening times Unresolved 
			 Civil Service Yearbook Unresolved 
			 National Land and Property Gazetteer and Scottish National Gazetteer Unresolved 
			 School Performance Tables Resolved 
			 Highways Agency Roadworks and improvements Unresolved 
			 Output from UKMO numerical weather prediction models Resolved 
			 National Planning Appeals Unresolved 
			 Schools database (EduBase) Resolved 
			 UK Parliament Bills Unresolved 
			 Efficiency and Fairness White Paper Resolved 
			 London Gazette Supplements In progress 
			 Electoral Boundary Data In progress 
			 HM Court Service Case Law Unresolved 
			 Ordnance Survey Points of Interest data In progress 
			 Primary School counts Resolved 
			 COI News Distribution Service Resolved 
			 Ordnance Survey Administrative Boundaries In progress 
			 HSE Health and Safety Information Resolved 
			 National Public Transport Data Repository Resolved 
			 Local Authorities: Registration districts and register offices Unresolved 
			 Civil Service Yearbook Unresolved 
			 DEFRA Bluetongue Clinical Signs Images Part resolved 
			 Sitefinder mobile phone mast locations Unresolved 
			 Consultations of various departments Resolved 
			 Local Authorities Licensed premises Unresolved 
			 Local Authorities Planning Applications Unresolved 
			 Government Expenditure Resolved 
			 Companies House Company Information In progress 
			 NHS Choices API Part resolved 
			 Postcodes to Administrative Areas In progress 
			 National Land and Property Gazetteer Unresolved 
			 National Street Gazetteer Unresolved 
			 Information Asset Registers Resolved 
			 Headcount for NHS PCTs Unresolved 
			 UK Patent Data In progress 
			 DfID Aid Information In progress 
			 URI Addressable Resources of various departments Part resolved 
			 Open DRM for Maps In progress 
			 RESTful API for NHS Choices Unresolved 
			 Companies API Part resolved 
			 Ordnance Survey Administrative Areas In progress 
			 OS Data on Google Maps Unresolved 
			 Ministry of Justice FOI Statistics In progress 
			 Photographs of Lords and MPs Unresolved 
			 School Inspections Database Unresolved 
			 Train Timetable Information Unresolved 
			 Royal Mail Address Data Unresolved 
			 Council Tax Valuation List Unresolved 
			 HSE Health and Safety Publications Resolved 
			 Childcare facility waiting data In progress 
			 Welsh Statutory Instruments Unresolved 
			 Welsh Assembly Record of Proceedings Unresolved

Youth Justice Board

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of the Youth Justice Board's expenditure was spent on purchasing custodial places in 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: The cost of custodial places currently includes payment for education provision. In respect of certain establishments, it also includes contributions to primary care trusts for health provision.
	For the financial year 2008-09 the cost to purchase places and regimes for children and young people in the secure estate was £297,952,000 which equates to 63 per cent. of their annual budget.
	The data contained in this answer is taken from the published YJB Annual Accounts.

TRANSPORT

Channel Tunnel: Safety

Julian Brazier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research his Department is undertaking in respect of the safety aspects of the two recent major incidents in the Channel Tunnel.

Chris Mole: The Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission acts for and on behalf of the British and French Governments to supervise all matters relating to the operation of the Channel Tunnel, including safety.
	The Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission is advised by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority on all matters relating to safety.

Departmental Buildings

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many members of staff of  (a) Directly Operated Railways and  (b) East Coast Trains occupy office space in his Department.

Chris Mole: At the moment there are three full-time and two part-time Directly Operated Railways staff based at the Department for Transport's Marsham street offices. In addition, two non-executive directors also use these offices for up to two days each month.
	From the 6 May, Directly Operated Railways staff will be based at offices in Kemble street which are not Department for Transport premises.
	There are no East Coast staff occupying space in the Department for Transport offices.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in (i) his Department and (ii) the executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.

Chris Mole: The following table details how many and what proportion of staff in the Department for Transport and its Executive agencies are declared disabled; and what the average salary is of full-time declared disabled staff, full-time non-disabled staff, part-time declared disabled staff and part-time non-disabled staff.
	
		
			   Disabled  Non-disabled  Disabled staff as percentage of known disability  Full-time disabled average salary (£)  Full-time non-disabled average salary (£)  Part-time disabled average salary (£)  Part-time non-disabled average salary (£) 
			 DFT(C) 90 1,770 4.7 31,020 36,080 0 32,500 
			 DVLA 980 4,760 17.1 17,730 17,730 17,730 17,730 
			 DSA 150 2,490 5.6 24,320 24,320 22,790 22,450 
			 GCDA 10 310 2.2 24,740 24,740 0 23,070 
			 HA 160 2,780 5.3 23,070 22,630 22,550 22,550 
			 MCA 90 790 9.7 22,330 24,370 24,980 18,620 
			 VCA 0 140 0 0 31,210 0 19,610 
			 VOSA 90 2,430 3.7 26,710 24,710 16,000 19,560 
		
	
	These data are based on returns made by Government Departments and agencies to ONS for the reference date of 31 March 2009.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Snow and Ice

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of recent adverse weather on the delivery of car tax renewal notices to motorists; how many have been delayed; and what the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency's policy is on this matter.

Paul Clark: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's policy is to send out vehicle tax renewal reminders around three weeks before the existing tax disc expires. This gives customers, plenty of time to get a new tax disc. The Agency's online and telephone based tax disc services are available 24 hours a day to ensure that customers need never miss the deadline for taking action.
	Renewal reminder notices are sent as a courtesy. The registered keeper of a vehicle is responsible for ensuring it is correctly licensed, even if a renewal reminder is not received. Our assessment is that there is no evidence that reminders were unduly delayed during recent bad weather and that 3 million motorists licensed their vehicles during January.

Electric Vehicles

Louise Ellman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have commissioned on the reliability of electronic systems fitted in vehicles in the last five years.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport or its agencies has not commissioned any specific research to look at the reliability of vehicles' electronic systems. However, under harmonised European construction rules electronic vehicle systems such as braking and steering are assessed for potential failures and any effect they may have on the safe operation of the vehicle.

Government Car and Despatch Agency: Internet

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reasons the Government Car and Despatch Agency has no contact details on its website.

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) publishes its contact details on its website:
	www.dft.gov.uk/gcda
	Within the 'Contact Us' section, telephone numbers for GCDA departments are shown.
	E-mail addresses and contact telephone numbers are shown at the end of each of the GCDA product/service pages.

Motor Vehicles: Safety

Louise Ellman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  on what date the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency was informed by Toyota of the possibility of the need to recall certain models of the Prius motor car; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with representatives of the Toyota Motor Company on reported faults with the Prius model; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: On 1 February 2010, the Vehicle Safety Branch (VSB) of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) held a meeting with Toyota GB to discuss the Toyota accelerator pedal matter.
	The Vehicle Standard Branch raised at the same time the issue concerning the braking system fitted to the Toyota Prius. Toyota GB advised that its parent company was conducting an investigation and agreed to keep VSB informed.
	Toyota GB believed this to be a brake pedal issue during brake application and the intervention of the ABS on low friction road surfaces rather than a safety defect. The Vehicle Standard Branch engineers conducted extensive tests and concluded that there was no safety defect.
	On 9 February 2010 Toyota GB informed VSB of their intention to treat this matter as a recall. Keepers of 8,500 Prius vehicles in the UK will be contacted to submit their vehicle to a dealer who will re-programme the Anti Lock Braking System software. Toyota GB informed VSB that as of 22 February 2010, 1,258 vehicles have been fixed.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Louise Ellman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many vehicles failed an MOT test for incorrectly adjusted headlamps in the last five years.

Paul Clark: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) do not record this specific information and to find this information would result in disproportionate cost being incurred.
	VOSA publishes MOT failures by categories in its Effectiveness Report. Incorrectly adjusted headlamps would be recorded within the Lighting and Signalling category along with other related failures. Figures for the last three years are listed in the table.
	
		
			  Table A 3.2 Failures of vehicles which included a lighting and signalling defect as a percentage of vehicles tested at MOT stations 
			   2008-09  2007-08  2006-07 
			 Total tests 29,691,015 28,742,618 27,805,830 
			 
			 Class 1 and 2 motorcycles percentage of tests 8.9 8.9 8.7 
			 Class 3 and 4: cars and light vans up to 3,000kg (percentage) 18.9 18.8 18.2 
			 Class 5: Private passenger vehicles with more than 12 seats (percentage) 19.7 19.5 19.0 
			 Class 7: Goods vehicles between3,000 and 3,500 kg gross vehicle weight (percentage) 43.1 43.6 42.3 
			  Notes: 1. A failed vehicle for a lighting and signalling defect often has more than one failure item. 2. The percentage shows the percentage of the defect category against the total number of tests carried out. 3. Figures before 2006-07 are recorded in a different format.

Official Cars

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2010,  Official Report, column 420W, on official cars, how many such cars were available for  (a) Ministers and  (b) senior civil servants in 1997-98; and what the annual cost was of providing the service in that year.

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency holds no historical information for that period and this could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Railways: Fines

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport to what use fines received from train operating companies as a result of franchise breaches are put.

Chris Mole: No fines have been imposed on train operating companies since the Department for Transport assumed responsibility for rail franchising, as the Government have instead sought appropriate passenger benefits from the train operator concerned, at a financial cost to the operator.

PRIME MINISTER

2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff of his Office attended the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Gordon Brown: None.

Official Residences

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1070W, on official residences, on what date the squatters who occupied the property at the beginning of December 2009 left the ministerial residence of South Eaton Place; whether the police or courts were used to secure occupation; and what steps have been taken to secure the property in future.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	Following a court order the persons illegally occupying South Eaton Place vacated it on 13 December 2009. The property is for sale.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many and what proportion of staff in the Government Olympic Executive are disabled; and what the average salary in the Government Olympic Executive is of  (a) full-time disabled staff,  (b) full-time non-disabled staff,  (c) part-time disabled staff and  (d) part-time non-disabled staff.

Tessa Jowell: The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) reports to me through the permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). GOE will be included within the answer provided by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DCMS.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much her Office has spent on entertainment in each of the last five years.

Tessa Jowell: My office has been in existence since June 2007. In the reporting year 2007-08 £1,215 was spent on entertainment, in the reporting year 2008-09 £717.05 was spent. Figures for 2009-10 will not be available until the end of the reporting year.

Olympic Games: Canada

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many staff of the Government Olympic Executive attended the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver; and whether she attended.

Tessa Jowell: Four members of the Government Olympic Executive have attended the 2010 Winter Olympics. It is planned that a further four officials will attend the Paralympics. They are participating in the observer programmes which run throughout the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	I attended the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games from 10 to 18 February, with my private secretary, a press officer and a special adviser. This provided an invaluable opportunity to study at first-hand Vancouver's experience in staging an Olympic Games and to learn lessons for London 2012.

Overseas Aid: Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much was spent on humanitarian assistance programmes in each of the last five years.

Tessa Jowell: The role of my Humanitarian Assistance Unit is to:
	ensure that the needs of British people affected by major emergencies are acted on within Government in building preparedness for and responding to major emergencies; and
	act as an advocate for victims and their families within Government and beyond.
	Expenditure on humanitarian assistance programmes in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 549,000 
			 2006-07 366,500 
			 2007-08 312,500 
			 2008-09 277,500 
			 2009-10 (to date) 217,000 
		
	
	In addition, the Government provided:
	£1 million to the British Red Cross in 2006-07 to set up the Relief Fund for Victims of Terrorism; and
	£1 million to the Royal Parks for the 7 July memorial in Hyde Park.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Warm Front Scheme: Eaga

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will review the effectiveness of the role of Eaga in the allocation of grants under the Warm Front scheme.

David Kidney: All applications to Warm Front will be considered by the scheme manager, Eaga, in accordance with the regulations which govern the scheme. The assistance provided to qualifying households will depend on their circumstances and the range of measures available. Work is allocated to those installers appointed under the scheme to work in the local area. The Department has an independent quality assurance contract in place to verify the work of the scheme manager.

Gas Storage

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much additional gas storage capacity he expects to be available in the UK by 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much additional gas storage capacity he expects to become available in the UK by 2012.

David Kidney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change gave to the hon. Member for Bracknell (Mr. Mackay) earlier today.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many miners' claims relating to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remain to be settled; and when he expects the compensation scheme to end.

David Kidney: The Department has settled over 590,000 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease claims to date. A further 1,762 claims remain to be settled of which less than 270 have yet to receive an offer. The Department aims to settle these claims by end of December 2010, although some claims involve protected parties and may take longer to resolve.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to secure progress in the post-competitive phase of the carbon capture and storage programme.

Edward Miliband: I expect to announce shortly which consortia will be selected following detailed scrutiny to undertake the tens of millions of pounds worth of work for the front end engineering and design for the first CCS demonstration project, the necessary work prior to construction. Later this year, we will also open the competition for the three other projects, to be funded under the CCS Incentive. The latter is, of course, dependent on the successful passage of the Energy Bill.

Energy Management Strategy

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish his Department's household energy management strategy.

Joan Ruddock: The Government consulted on their plans for improving the energy efficiency of existing homes from February to May last year. We had over 300 responses to that consultation, from a wide variety of organizations and individuals, expressing a broad range of views.
	In response to that consultation, our Strategy for Household Energy Management will be published very shortly.

Coal: Electricity

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will give additional support to promote the use of co-firing of biomass in coal-powered electricity generation.

David Kidney: Co-firing, along with other eligible renewable electricity generation technologies is supported under the renewables obligation.
	In October 2010 we will start the first scheduled banding review for all eligible renewables technologies supported under the renewables obligation.
	This will include reviewing at the level of support for co-firing of biomass and energy crops in fossil-fuelled generation.

Environmental Technologies

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps he has taken to increase the use of new environmental technologies; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has a range of policies in place that will increase the use of new environmental technologies by driving carbon emission reduction. These policies include the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, our carbon budgets, and the carbon reduction commitment.
	Recent steps to increase the use of new environmental technologies include Feed In Tariffs; the Renewable Heat Incentive and the Low Carbon Communities Challenge.

Natural Gas: Industrial Disputes

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure the security of the UK's gas supply in the event of proposed industrial action at Milford Haven;
	(2)  on what dates he discussed Unite's proposed industrial action at Milford Haven with officials from Unite;
	(3)  what representations he has received on the likely effect on the security of gas supply of industrial action by Unite at Milford Haven;
	(4)  what representations he has received on the likely effect of industrial action by Unite at Milford Haven on imports of crude oil and refined products.

David Kidney: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has been closely following events at Milford Haven Port Authority over the past few weeks. My officials have been in regular contact with the operators of LNG import facilities and refineries in the area to understand the implications of possible industrial action. We have also been in contact with national grid to discuss the potential implications for UK's gas supply. Officials have maintained close communication with port authority management to follow developments and, between 1 and 23 February, Ministers and officials have spoken on a number of occasions with senior representatives from Unite to seek their assessment of the dispute.
	DECC recognises the strategic importance of the port to the energy industry and has urged the parties concerned to do everything possible to reach a resolution to the dispute whilst recognising that the issues under negotiation are a matter for the management and employees of the port authority. We welcome the announcement that the industrial action at Milford Haven port scheduled to start on 23 February has been averted and are pleased that consultation is under way on proposals which we hope will lead to an agreement.
	My officials and I will continue to monitor developments closely and I urge the parties concerned to seek a swift and sustainable agreement to the dispute.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding his Department has allocated for  (a) year end and  (b) in year bonuses for its staff in 2009-10.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) operates three non-consolidated performance payment schemes: an in-year, special performance scheme (to reward particularly meritorious contributions during the year); an end-of-year performance payment scheme for staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) (to reward performance and delivery throughout the previous year); and a performance payment scheme for SCS staff, which is an integral part of the pay arrangements in operation in all Whitehall Departments.
	The annual costs of the end-of-year performance payment scheme for staff below Senior Civil Service is £348,300. This equates to 0.54 per cent. of the pay remit available to those staff eligible to participate in the scheme.
	In respect of performance payments for Senior Civil Service for 2009-10, the NIO will, as usual, await the advice of the Senior Salaries Review Body and Cabinet Office Guidance.
	The funding allocated to the in-year special performance scheme equates to 0.4 per cent. of the pay remit available to those staff eligible to participate in the scheme. The funding for the 2009-10 year was set at £258,000.

Departmental Travel

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the travel guidance issued to staff of each of his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Paul Goggins: Most of the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies follow travel policy/guidance issued by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).
	The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission have their own guidance document and the Northern Ireland Prison Service follow the guidance contained in the Northern Ireland Civil Service Handbook.
	I will place in the Library of the House copies of travel guidance documents.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many turbines other than those delivered in September 2008 are operational at Kajaki dam; in what year such turbines were installed; and what the volume of electricity output has been of such turbines in the last five years for which figures are available.

Chris Bryant: I have been asked to reply.
	There are two turbines operational at Kajaki dam, which were installed between 1972 and 1975. In 1975, the dam began to produce electricity for the Helmand Valley and Kandahar. It produces 33 mega watts of power.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the turbine delivered to Kajaki dam by UK forces in September 2008 is not functioning; whether that turbine has functioned since its delivery; when he expects that turbine to function; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: I have been asked to reply.
	The turbine delivered in September 2008 requires other materials, namely mechanical and construction equipment, to make it functional. These have not yet been moved to the Kajaki area. While the dam does not operate to its full capacity, currently it does provide electricity to the population of Helmand. Two generators are in place and being used, along with diesel-powered, local generation to increase supply. While the security situation in the area makes access and delivery to Kajaki challenging, supplies, including oil, are being delivered. USAID, the US federal government agency responsible for the US effort in the field of development and reconstruction, is leading the work on the refurbishment of the power station. They continue to plan to make the facility fully operational.

Armed Forces: Housing

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of each grade of his Department's single living accommodation housing stock in Scotland was empty in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: We record details of void bed-spaces which are defined as those which are available but not currently required for occupation by single Service personnel. Separate figures for Scotland are not available.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current shortfall is of  (a) reservist and  (b) regular (i) medical, (ii) nursing and (ii) paramedic staff.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 6 January 2010
	The latest available data are provided in the following tables:
	
		
			  Defence Medical Service Regulars-Manning as at 1 October 2009 
			   Requirement  Trained strength  Shortfall (percentage) 
			 Medical officers 818 476 42 
			 Nurses 1,900 1,500 21 
			 Medical support services 4,083 3,882 5 
			 Dental officers and allied dental healthcare professionals 777 764 2 
			 Total 7,578 6,622 13 
			  Notes: 1. Requirement excludes the manning and training margin. 2. Trained strength only includes personnel that are qualified in their speciality. 3. 'Medical Support Services' include the paramedic cadre. 4. Dental officers and allied dental healthcare professionals includes dental practitioners, dental support officers, dental surgery assistants and dental technicians. 
		
	
	
		
			  Defence Medical Service Reserves-Manning as at 1 October 2009 
			   Requirement  Trained strength  Shortfall (percentage) 
			 Medical officers 1,001 408 59 
			 Nurses 863 553 36 
			 Medical support services 2,316 1,535 34 
			 Dental officers and allied dental healthcare professionals 58 31 47 
			 Total 4,238 2,527 40 
			  Notes: 1. Dental officers and allied dental healthcare professionals includes dental practitioners, dental support officers, dental surgery assistants and dental technicians. 2. 'Medical Support Services' include the paramedic cadre.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many people of each occupation are employed as personal staff for the Director General Land Warfare;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on personal staff for the Director General Land Warfare in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: Director General Land Warfare has access to a pool of staff as part of a garrison-wide contract. He shares the use of one gardener and one domestic assistant to maintain his service family accommodation with the whole garrison of about 2,000 people. As such their staff duties are not solely dedicated to Director General Land Warfare. This is within MOD guidelines on proportionate staffing levels for the post.
	The contract value of the support provided to Director General Land Warfare was valued at approximately £1,200 per month from February 2009 to January 2010.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many performance reviews were undertaken in respect of staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a direct result of such a rating; and what percentage of full-time equivalent staff this represented.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held in the format requested.
	Other than certain medical grades, all MOD civilian staff are required to participate in an annual performance review process. If performance is identified as unsatisfactory -at any point in the reporting year-individuals may be subject to the restoring efficiency process, which involves warning the individual, encouraging improvement, and allowing a reasonable opportunity to improve. If a satisfactory performance is not achieved, the individual may be dismissed or downgraded. The number of staff dismissed for unsatisfactory performance in each financial year was as follows:
	
		
			   Total 
			 2004-05 12 
			 2005-06 12 
			 2006-07 12 
			 2007-08 4 
			 2008-09 2 
		
	
	These figures include staff in MOD agencies but exclude Trading Funds and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Ex-servicemen: Military Decorations

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans' badges have been issued to former members of the armed forces since the badges were introduced.

Kevan Jones: As at 19 February 2010, 770,324 Veterans Lapel Badges have been issued to former members of the armed forces and their entitled dependants since its introduction on 10 April 2004.

Hercules Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue operations took place beyond the standard operational range of the Hercules aircraft in the last five years.

Bill Rammell: None. The UK has responsibility for search and rescue operations within a specified area, which includes the north Atlantic, extending out to 30 degrees west. Hercules aircraft are capable of covering the entirety of the UK search and rescue area of responsibility.

Incapacity Benefit: Chelmsford

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on substitute accommodation in Scotland for  (a) service family accommodation and  (b) single living accommodation in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: It will take more time to collate and verify the information requested. I will write to the hon. Member.
	 Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Angus Robertson:
	In my answer of 9 February (Official Report, column 811W) I undertook to write to you with details of how much the Department has spent on substitute accommodation in Scotland for Service Family Accommodation and Single Living Accommodation in each of the last five years.
	Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA) and Substitute Service Single Accommodation (SSSA) are only ever used as a last resort in cases where service accommodation either does not exist or is not available. SSSA properties may accommodate more than one entitled Service person of the same gender and of an equivalent rank. As part of the value for money programme that I chair, the entitlements of all Ministry of Defence employees are being considered.
	The amount spent on SSFA and SSSA in Scotland in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of SSFA  Cost (£ million)  Number of SSSA  Cost (£ million)  Total expenditure (£ million) 
			 2005 18 0.2 304 2.1 2.3 
			 2006 23 0.2 487 2.5 2.7 
			 2007 26 0.2 585 3.2 3.4 
			 2008 34 0.2 682 3.9 4.1 
			 2009 36 0.3 638 3.8 4.1

Iraq and Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force (i) fixed wing aircraft and (ii) helicopters are deployed in (A) Iraq, (B) Germany, (C) Afghanistan, (D) Cyprus, (E) Diego Garcia, (F) the Falkland Islands and the South Atlantic, (G) Gibraltar, (H) Kuwait, (I) Ascension Island, (J) the United Arab Emirates, (K) Oman, (L) Bahrain and (M) at sea.

Bill Rammell: There are no manned UK military aircraft deployed in Iraq, Cyprus, Diego Garcia, Gibraltar, Kuwait, the UAE or Ascension Island.
	There are 12 Army helicopters permanently based in Germany, though some of these may be deployed on operations or in the UK for maintenance at any given time.
	There are 12 RAF manned fixed-wing aircraft in Afghanistan. All three services have helicopters in Afghanistan and there are three Royal Navy helicopters deployed to Oman. I am withholding further information on numbers in operational theatres because it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the efficiency, security and capability of the armed forces.
	The liabilities (or cost) in 2009-10 do not arise until the necessary legislative amendments to the scheme are actually in place. The accounts in the financial year in which the legislation is made will reflect the change in liabilities arising from the review.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will  (a) make available to the Iraq Inquiry and  (b) place in the Library a copy of all legal advice given by his Department to military personnel prior to the beginning of the Iraq war; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence is providing the inquiry with all the documentation that the inquiry has requested including legal advice. The Department will consider any requests to place documents containing legal advice relating to the Iraq conflict in the Library of the House on a case-by-case basis.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maximum operational range is of the  (a) MR2 and  (b) Hercules search and rescue aircraft without air-to-air refuelling.

Bill Rammell: The Nimrod MR2 and Hercules C130K aircraft perform other tasks aside from long-range search and rescue. We therefore cannot comment on actual capability levels as this is classified information.
	The UK has responsibility for search and rescue operations within a specified area, which includes the North Atlantic out to 30 degrees West and both the Nimrod MR2 and Hercules C130K aircraft are capable of covering the entirety of the UK's search and rescue area of responsibility. The maximum time on task is dependent on a wide range of factors including load, configuration and weather, and this can be extended through use of diversions as far afield as Iceland in the north or indeed the Azores in the south. Additionally, the Hercules C130K has the capacity to air-to-air refuel which could significantly extend its time on task if it was required.

Nimrod Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue missions were flown from RAF Kinloss using MR2 aircraft in each of the last five years; and what the  (a) distance and  (b) duration was of each such mission.

Bill Rammell: The number of search and rescue missions flown by MR2 aircraft from RAF Kinloss in each of the last five years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 28 
			 2006 28 
			 2007 17 
			 2008 25 
			 2009 11 
		
	
	The available information relating to distance and duration of each mission in each of the last five years is provided in the following tables. The distance provided represents the nautical miles from RAF Kinloss to the search and rescue (SAR) task and does not represent the total distance flown. The duration of each mission relates only to the actual search and rescue mission and does not, in every case, represent total flying time.
	
		
			  2005 
			  Distance NM  Duration (hours/minutes) 
			 585 04.15 
			 281 03.15 
			 131 02.00 
			 n/a 04.45 
			 576 03.40 
			 589 04.30 
			 443 04.15 
			 592 05.15 
			 313 04.45 
			 742 07.10 
			 307 03.35 
			 303 03.40 
			 370 03.40 
			 480 07.25 
			 194 01.25 
			 212 07.15 
			 174 01.45 
			 607 07.25 
			 584 04.35 
			 1,143 01.45 
			 463 06.35 
			 338 03.50 
			 50 00.40 
			 594 04.30 
			 682 11.30 
			 490 03.50 
			 550 03.35 
			 518 05.40 
		
	
	
		
			  2006 
			  Distance NM  Duration (hours/minutes) 
			 157 5:25 
			 899 n/a 
			 537 4:10 
			 448 4:25 
			 257 4:00 
			 598 n/a 
			 267 2:45 
			 506 4:10 
			 334 4:20 
			 334 4:50 
			 599 4:20 
			 333 4:00 
			 535 4:35 
			 605 7:30 
			 80 5:15 
			 357 5:00 
			 162 5:05 
			 446 4:20 
			 738 5:35 
			 384 3:25 
			 601 3:10 
			 437 5:50 
			 225 1:40 
			 540 3:15 
			 207 29:25 
			 275 4:37 
			 615 4:10 
			 117 1:30 
		
	
	
		
			  2007 
			  Distance NM  Duration (hours/minutes) 
			 374 3:00 
			 554 4:45 
			 204 1:05 
			 402 4:00 
			 542 5:00 
			 201 13:30 
			 312 4:10 
			 379 4:30 
			 n/a 2:30 
			 253 2:05 
			 10 2:30 
			 233 3:15 
			 466 6:00 
			 489 5:05 
			 392 2:30 
			 386 4:35 
			 678 4:45 
		
	
	
		
			  2008 
			  Distance NM  Duration (hours/minutes) 
			 496 03.55 
			 377 05.35 
			 586 05.10 
			 152 01.10 
			 451 06.50 
			 258 02.55 
			 575 04.55 
			 441 n/a 
			 501 02.30 
			 n/a 05.25 
			 354 05.20 
			 n/a 04.55 
			 641 00.15 
			 835 05.15 
			 635 05.10 
			 298 n/a 
			 959 05.30 
			 238 02.30 
			 76 00.15 
			 596 03.00 
			 560 04.40 
			 564 04.25 
			 851 06.30 
			 488 03.50 
			 944 14.25 
		
	
	
		
			  2009 
			  Distance NM  Duration (hours/minutes) 
			 170 04.05 
			 368 03.20 
			 69 04.20 
			 559 04.00 
			 443 00.05 
			 1,060 07.00 
			 958 05.30 
			 265 02.50 
			 473 03.40 
			 680 05.35 
			 560 03.30

Nuclear Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans he has for the replacement of MR2s in the protection of the UK's nuclear submarine fleet;
	(2)  what the end of service date is of the MR2 aircraft; what plans there are for its replacement; when he expects the MRA4 aircraft to enter service; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he plans to lease search and rescue aircraft following the withdrawal from service of the MR2 aircraft.

Kevan Jones: The Nimrod MR2 will be taken out of service on 31 March 2010, and will be replaced by the substantially more capable Nimrod MRA4. The MRA4 production programme remains unchanged, but the aircraft will be introduced into service at a slower rate as part of a package of key adjustments to the Defence programme announced on 15 December last year. During the period of transition we intend to use other assets to fulfil its various roles. We do not currently have any plans to lease aircraft to fulfil the long range search and rescue tasks undertaken by the MR2.
	I cannot comment on the levels of protection assigned to the Deterrent for reasons of national security.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Civil Society Challenge Fund

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library copies of the proposals received by his Department for funding each project which is to receive funding from the Civil Society Challenge Fund 2010.

Douglas Alexander: Details for the projects to receive funding from the Civil Society Challenge Fund in 2010 are available on the Department for International Development's (DFID's) website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	Signing of grant agreements for 2010 is still subject to negotiation of financial and other arrangements and the usual DFID approval procedures.

Haiti: Earthquakes

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions  (a) he and  (b) officials of his Department have had with (i) politicians and (ii) officials in Haiti on the role the UK can play in the reconstruction of that country.

Michael Foster: Reconstruction on such a vast scale is best led multilaterally. The Government of Haiti have asked the World Bank and United Nations to be the joint international leads on this, and we expect the other international financial institutions, the European Commission and Haiti's major bilateral donors also to have a strong role. The United Kingdom is and will remain a major contributor to multilateral funding and in that role fully expects to attend the main reconstruction conference in New York at the end of March.

Haiti: Earthquakes

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the  (a) aid and  (b) other assistance provided by his Department to the people of Haiti since the earthquake in that country.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) assessment team provide daily field reports on the developing humanitarian situation in Haiti, to inform departmental decisions on funding and strategic choices. These situation reports are published on the DFID website for members of the public to view.

Overseas Aid: Asylum

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has allocated to support work with refugees from  (a) Iraq,  (b) Afghanistan,  (c) Sudan,  (d) Somalia and  (e) Rwanda in 2009-10.

Michael Foster: To date, in 2009-10 the Department for International Development (DFID) has provided a core contribution of £19 million to the UN Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to work with refugees worldwide.
	DFID has also provided earmarked funding to UNHCR to support refugees in specific countries. In 2009-10 this has included £1.5 million for humanitarian assistance in Iraq and £2 million for Somali refugees in Kenya.

Rwanda: HIV Infection

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to  (a) ensure local HIV positive survivors of the Rwandan genocide continue to receive targeted support and  (b) support local organisations in Rwanda in providing services to HIV positive genocide survivors after March 2010.

Gareth Thomas: Since 2006 the Department for International Development (DFID) has funded a £4.25 million Care and Treatment of Survivors Programme (CTP) targeting victims of genocide who are HIV positive.
	From March 2010 this programme will be managed by the Government of Rwanda. DFID worked closely with the Rwandan Ministry of Health (MoH) and genocide survivors' local organisations to ensure that HIV positive survivors will continue to receive targeted support from the Global Fund through government systems.
	DFID will continue to support Rwanda's health and social services system, including its specialised services to genocide survivors through Sectoral Budget Support and General Budget Support. DFID's monitoring and policy dialogue with the government will provide a means of ensuring services to HIV positive genocide survivors continue to be provided after March 2010.

TREASURY

Banks: Loans

Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the performance of banks in meeting his Department's mortgage lending requirements;
	(2)  what percentage of the lending targets for financial institutions set by his Department has been reserved for support for first-time buyers in the housing market.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government agreed lending commitments with Lloyds Banking Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in February 2009. Under these legally-binding agreements, Lloyds committed to lend an additional £3 billion and RBS an additional £9 billion to households on commercial terms (and subject to market demand) over the 12 months from March 2009.
	The Government will report annually to Parliament on the delivery of these commitments.
	The lending commitments include qualitative commitments on first-time buyers. For example, they require both these banks to ensure that they market products to first-time buyers including mortgage products of up 90 per cent. loan to value.

Banks: Loans

Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to support first-time buyers in the housing market.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In England, the Government's key objective for housing is to ensure everyone has access to a decent home at a price they can afford. The Government remain committed to the delivery of affordable housing, including through both shared equity and shared ownership schemes. Since 1997 the Government have helped more than 110,000 households in England into low-cost homeownership through shared ownership and shared equity.
	The Pre-Budget Report 2009 announced that the Government would increase the Development of HomeBuy Direct Homes in 2010-11, delivering an investment of over £150 million in HomeBuy Direct that year and an increase of 3,000 homes above the original target of 10,000 for England. Additionally, the Government announced that housing for first-time buyers would be priorities within the Kickstart Housing Delivery Programme. Further information on Government measures to help homebuyers in England is available at
	www.realhelpnow.gov.uk
	Decisions concerning whether to engage in lending to support shared equity or shared ownership remain commercial decisions for firms. Where there is public sector investment in financial institutions these stakes will be managed on an arm's length and independent basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd.
	Housing policy is devolved in Scotland and the Devolved Administration in Scotland has its own policies to assist first-time buyers; further information is available at
	http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/BuyingSelling/lift

Dunfermline Building Society

Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the sums paid from the public purse to  (a) consultants,  (b) accountants,  (c) legal advisers and  (d) other financial advisers for work connected with management of the assets of Dunfermline Building Society.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the letter sent to him dated 11 January 2010 from Lord Myners, a copy of which will be placed in Libraries of the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Government Departments: Procurement

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of central Government procurement is not co-ordinated through the Office of Government Commerce;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1145W, on Government departments: procurement, what proportion of Government expenditure on goods and services was undertaken via collaborate procurement programmes in 2009; and if he will list each professional buying organisation and the amount of Government expenditure in each such case.

Ian Pearson: Management information from December shows that 47 per cent. of categorised central Government expenditure was undertaken through collaborative procurement in 2009-10.
	A list of professional buying organisations can be found in Annex C of the Operational Efficiency Programme report Collaborative Procurement which was published in December 2009. Details of Government expenditure through professional buying organisations is not held centrally.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Billericay of 11 January 2010 on his constituent, Mr. Toomey.

Stephen Timms: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Non-Domestic Rates

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many hereditaments there are with a rateable value of  (a) under £5,000,  (b) between £5,000 and £14,999,  (c) between £15,000 and £24,999,  (d) between £25,000 and £49,999,  (e) between £50,000 and £99,999,  (f) between £100,000 and £499,999 and  (g) at least £500,000; and what the total rateable value is of hereditaments in each category.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 22 February 2010
	The following data are as at the 2 November 2009 and extracted from the information published by the Valuation Office Agency on the 18 December 2009.
	These data are consistent with the statistical release titled: 'Non- domestic rateable values: 2010 Local Ratings Lists-England and Wales', published on 18 December 2009. A copy of this statistical release is available at the following link:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/statistical_releases/VOA_Statistics_Release_Final.pdf
	
		
			  Draft 2010 Rating List as at 2 November 2009 
			  Hereditaments ( thousand ) : RV  (£  m illion ) 
			   England  Wales  Total 
			   Number hereditaments  (thousand)  Total rateable value  (£ million)  Number hereditaments  (thousand)  Total rateable value  (£ million)  Number hereditaments  (thousand)  Total rateable value  (£ million) 
			 Below 5,000 601 1,497 48 115 649 1,612 
			 Between 5,000 and 14,999 568 5,018 32 274 600 5,292 
			 Between 15,000 and 24,999 189 3,629 9 174 198 3,803 
			 Between 25,000 and 49,999 167 5,798 7 254 174 6,052 
			 Between 50,000 and 99,999 96 6,661 4 279 100 6,940 
			 Between 100,000 and 499,999 82 16,411 3 655 86 17,066 
			 500,000 or over 13 17,360 0 607 14 17,966 
			 Total 1,717 56,373 104 2,358 1,821 58,732

Public Expenditure

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 932-3W, on the strategic investment fund, whether the £100 million of new funding was raised through borrowing; and from which budgets the £100 million from departmental re-prioritisation was drawn.

Stephen Timms: The £100 million from the Exchequer for the Strategic Investment Fund is funded through an additional spending allocation in 2010-11. The Government's forecast for borrowing in 2010-11 derives from forecasts of net expenditure less net receipts in that year. The £100 million not funded by the Exchequer will be funded equally from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport's 2010-11 Budgets.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend the definition of hardship used by HM Revenue and Customs when considering debt recovery; and whether he plans to align that definition with the definition used by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Stephen Timms: Neither HM Revenue and Customs nor the Department for Work and Pensions have specific definitions of hardship in connection with debt recovery. When considering debt recovery, decisions are made based on the specific facts of each case and against the statutory framework within which each Department operates.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Day Care

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many childcare places have been created in Feltham and Heston constituency since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of childcare places is not available for parliamentary constituencies.

Children: Day Care

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) free nursery and  (b) pre-school places were available for children aged (i) three and (ii) four years old in (A) Essex and (B) Castle Point in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Table 1 shows the number of part-time equivalent places filled by three and four-year-olds in Essex local authority from 1997 to 2009. Table 2 shows the number of part-time equivalent places filled by three and four-year-olds in Castle Point constituency from 2004 to 2009.
	The Department publishes information on the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in maintained, private, voluntary and independent providers. Information on the number of pre-school places is not separately available. Part-time equivalent places are derived by counting children taking up 12 and a half hours per week as one place, 10 hours per week as 0.8 places, seven and a half hours per week as 0.6 places, five hours per week as 0.4 places and two and a half hours per week as 0.2 places. Data at parliamentary constituency level are not available prior to 2004.
	
		
			  Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2,3)  filled by three and four-year-olds( 4) 
			  Local authority: Essex 
			  Position in January each year  Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			 1997 1,600 14,000 
			 1998 1,900 15,000 
			 1999 2,000 15,200 
			 2000 2,000 15,100 
			 2001 2,200 15,100 
			 2002 8,700 15,100 
			 2003 11,500 15,000 
			 2004 11,700 15,000 
			 2005 11,900 14,400 
			 2006 11,900 14,100 
			 2007 12,300 14,100 
			 2008 12,800 14,600 
			 2009 13,000 15,100 
			 (1) A place is equal to 12.5 hours (five sessions) and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. From 2004 onwards, information has been derived from Early Years Census and School Census data. (4) Age of all children taken at 31 December in the previous calendar year.  Source: NEG, Early Years Census and School Census 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2,3)  filled by three and four-year-olds( 4) 
			  Parliamentary constituency: Castle Point 
			  Position in January each year  Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			 2004 760 880 
			 2005 690 880 
			 2006 700 850 
			 2007 720 830 
			 2008 780 840 
			 2009 750 870 
			 (1) A place is equal to 12.5 hours (five sessions) and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for this parliamentary constituency is not available prior to 2004. (4) Age of all children taken at 31 December in the previous calendar year.  Source: Early Years Census and School Census 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 11/2009 Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2009, available on my Department's website:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000848/index.shtml

Children: Poverty

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what initiatives his Department and its predecessors have taken to tackle child poverty in Salford since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Since coming to office in 1997 the Government have developed a number of initiatives, both nationally and locally, to tackle child poverty. Salford has built on these national policies and developed their own local strategy to drive their child poverty agenda forward. My Department and Salford's local strategies have provided and strengthened family support through universal targeted specialist approaches including:
	the Common Assessment Framework;
	Children's Centres and Family Intervention Projects to maximise family and parenting support; and
	the Think Family Pathfinder which encourages family and community learning.
	In addition to these initiatives, Salford is benefiting from the new multi-service assertive Outreach Teams and Children's Centres which together are able to provide parents with a range of services.
	Children's Centres, in particular, disseminate up-to-date information on job vacancies, education, training and volunteering, and often act as the first port of call for those seeking specialist financial advice. Children's Centres provide a liaison point with Job Centre Plus to offer parents information on employment and skills and co-ordinate community-based learning and training. Their work is underpinned and further enhanced by the introduction of 35 community workers and teams of lone parent advisers, who are also located within the centres.
	Salford is also part of the Manchester's co-ordinated support for separating parents pilot, one of the eight child poverty pilots being undertaken nationally.

Children: Social Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost has been of each common area assessment of children's services.

Dawn Primarolo: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 10 February 2010:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief
	Inspector, for response.
	In line with the Education and Inspections Act 2006 Ofsted is charged with providing an annual performance rating for children's services for each local authority area. The children's services rating is a wide-ranging and robust assessment of the outcomes for children and young people that is strongly based on the evidence from Ofsted inspections of early years provision, schools including special schools and Pupil Referral Units, colleges, fostering and adoption services, children's homes, safeguarding and looked after children services inspections.
	In addition, as one of the partner inspectorates, Ofsted has contributed to both the organisational and area assessments which together make up the Comprehensive Area Assessment of local areas, The children's services rating is a significant factor in the organisational assessment overall score for each council. For Ofsted and local authority children's services the Comprehensive Area Assessment replaces the annual performance assessment and the joint area review programmes.
	The Comprehensive Area Assessment was introduced in April 2009. Consequently costs are provisional and have been estimated for 12 months. Full audited costs will be available from the end of June. Taking into account the time contributed to this work by Her Majesty's Inspectors, data analysts, management and administrative staff, the estimated cost of Ofsted's contribution to the 2009 CAA is £18,829 per local authority. Please note that this estimate does not include any allocation of corporate overhead.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Children's Centres: East Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children's centres there were in  (a) Lewes constituency and  (b) East Sussex in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many children attended  (a) Sure Start facilities and  (b) children's centres in Lewes constituency in the last 12 months for which information is available; and how much such facilities cost in that period.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table details how many designated Sure Start children's centres there were in  (a) Lewes constituency and  (b) East Sussex local authority in each year since 2004 (there were none previous to this).
	
		
			  Table 1: Designated Sure Start children's centres 
			   Lewes constituency  East Sussex 
			 2004 1 1 
			 2005 0 4 
			 2006 0 5 
			 2007 1 13 
			 2008 0 5 
			 2009 3 7 
			 Total 5 35 
		
	
	In East Sussex local authority, there are 35 designated Sure Start children's centres which have a combined reach area of over 24,000 children under five and their families. Of these, six are in Lewes constituency and have a reach area of over 5,000 children under five and their families.
	Reach area defines those children and families with the opportunity to access Sure Start children's centres. Figures for the number of people actually using children's centres are not collected centrally.
	In 2008-09, East Sussex local authority spent £4,119,141 on children's centres revenue funding; £4,189,109 on Sure Start local programmes; and £446,448 on children's centres capital funding. This is the latest 12-month period for which spend figures are available.
	The Department allocates funding to local authorities for Sure Start children's centres, and its predecessor Sure Start local programmes, through the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant. It is for local authorities to determine how to allocate the funding between individual centres. The Department does not collect information on how much is allocated and spent at individual centre level.
	The allocations for Children's Centres for East Sussex for 2008-09 to 2010-11 are shown in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare grant allocations for East Sussex local authority 
			   Revenue  Capital 
			   Main Revenue Block  SSLP Block  Main Capital Block 
			   Children's centres  Total main revenue  Sure Start local programmes  Children's Centres  Total Main Capital 
			 2008-09 3,995,304 7,360,556 3,460,552 698,435 2,771,127 
			 2009-10 5,261,515 8,358,567 3,154,933 1,456,072 3,528,764 
			 2010-11 6,348,245 10,101,509 2,886,240 872,667 2,945,359 
			 Total 3,995,304 7,360,556 3,460,552 698,435 2,771,127

Children's Centres: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has allocated for children's centres in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: Funding for Sure Start Children's Centres is provided to Local Authorities as part of the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant (SSEYCG) and is not allocated to individual constituencies. Essex Local Authority is responsible for managing the SSEYCG funding and Children's Centres performance across their area and will decide how much to allocate to centres in Castle Point.
	The funding allocated to Essex for Children's Centres over the past three years is shown in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1. Children's Centres allocations for Essex local authority, 2007-08 to 2009-10. 
			  (£) 
			   Children's Centres Revenue Allocation  Children's Centres Capital Allocation 
			 2007-08 7,874,703 (1)12,908,404 
			 2008-09 11,916,047 2,175,268 
			 2009-10 15,750,814 5,751,259 
			 (1) The 2007-08 allocation is for the wider Main Capital Block

Children's Centres: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point attend Sure Start centres.

Dawn Primarolo: The 85 designated Sure Start Children Centres in Essex local authority have a combined reach of over 70,000 children under five and their families. The six centres in Castle Point constituency have a combined reach of around 4,500 children under five and their families. Reach area defines those children and families with the opportunity to access children's centres. Figures for the number of children under five and their families actually attending and using children's centres are not collected centrally.

Children's Centres: Feltham

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has allocated for children's centres in Feltham and Heston constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: Hounslow local authority has been allocated over £31.6m revenue and capital funding to deliver its Sure Start Children's Centres. The Department allocates funding to local authorities for children's centres, and its predecessor Sure Start Local programmes, through the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant. It is for local authorities to determine how to allocate the funding between individual children's centres. The Department does not collect information on how much is allocated at constituency level.

GCSE

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 137W, on academies: sponsorship, what the increase was in the proportion of pupils achieving at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics in 2009 in schools, other than academy schools, which had fewer than  (a) 50,  (b) 40 and  (c) 30 per cent. of pupils achieving this standard in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 25 January 2010
	 The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Percentage end KS4 pupils 5+  A*-C including English and maths 2008  Percentage end KS4 pupils 5+  A*-C including English and maths 2009  Percentage point improvement 2008-09 
			 Schools other than academies with fewer than 50 per cent. of end KS4 pupils achieving 5+ A*-C at GCSE (or equivalent) including English and maths in 2008 33 37 +4 
			 
			 Schools other than academies with fewer than 40 per cent. of end KS4 pupils achieving 5+ A*-C at GCSE (or equivalent) including English and maths in 2008 26 31 +5 
			 
			 Schools other than academies with fewer than 30 per cent. of end KS4 pupils achieving 5+ A*-C at GCSE (or equivalent) including English and maths in 2008 17 23 +6 
			  Note: Independent and special schools are included in these figures

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many students resident in  (a) Knowsley,  (b) Kensington and Chelsea and  (c) Islington sat a GCSE in (i) physics, (ii) chemistry, (iii) English literature, (iv) history and (v) a modern language in 1997;
	(2)  how many students resident in  (a) Knowsley and  (b) Kensington and Chelsea sat a GCSE in (i) physics, (ii) chemistry, (iii) English literature, (iv) history and (v) a modern language in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Consistent information about pupil achievement based on residency is only available for years 2002-03 onwards. Information on whether a pupil has entered GCSEs in chemistry, physics, history and English literature has also only been on the National Pupil Database since the 2003-04 academic year, and on a consistent basis for a modern foreign language since the 2007-08 academic year.
	
		
			  Fifteen year old students( 1,2 ) resident( 3)  in (a) Knowsley, (b) Kensington and Chelsea and (c) Islington local authorities who were entered for GCSEs in (i) physics (ii) chemistry (iii) English literature (iv) history in 2003-04 
			   Number of students( 1)  entered for chemistry GCSE  Number of students( 1)  entered for physics GCSE  Number of students( 1)  entered for history GCSE  Number of students( 1)  entered for  English literature GCSE 
			 Knowsley 109 109 467 1,654 
			 Chelsea 25 25 145 501 
			 Islington 23 23 369 1,280 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August 2003. (2) Students attending maintained schools only including City Technology Colleges and Academies. (3) Based on students with a valid postcode in that academic year.  Source:  National Pupil Database (final data) 
		
	
	
		
			  Students at the end of Key Stage 4( 1,2 ) resident( 3)  in (a) Knowsley, (b) Kensington and Chelsea and (c) Islington local authorities who were entered for GCSEs in a modern foreign language in 2007-08 
			  Local Authority  Number 
			 Knowsley 800 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 270 
			 Islington 605 
			 (1 )Number of students on roll at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2007-08 academic year. (2) Students attending maintained schools only including City Technology Colleges and Academies. (3) Based on students with a valid postcode in that academic year.  Source:  National Pupil Database (final data) 
		
	
	
		
			  Students at the end of Key Stage 4( 1,2 ) resident( 3)  in (a) Knowsley and (b) Kensington and Chelsea local authorities who were entered for GCSEs in (i) physics (ii) chemistry (iii) English literature (iv) history and (v) a modern foreign language in 2008/2009 
			  Local Authority  Number of students( 1)  entered for a Modern Foreign Language GCSE  Number of students( 1)  entered for Chemistry GCSE  Number of students1 entered for Physics GCSE  Number of students1 entered for History GCSE  Number of students1 entered for English Literature GCSE 
			 Knowsley 795 82 81 425 1,276 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 259 25 25 170 481 
			 (1 )Number of students on roll at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2008-09 academic year. (2) Students attending maintained schools only including City Technology Colleges and Academies. (3) Based on students with a valid postcode in that academic year.  Source:  National Pupil Database (amended data)

Home Education

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will recommend an increase in the use of school attendance orders as a method of supporting families with home-educated children.

Vernon Coaker: No, the usage of those measures is left to the local authorities' discretion.

Pre-school Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much he expects local authorities to spend on delivering the three to four year-old nursery entitlement in 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2008-09 over £4 billion was spent by local authorities on provision for under fives including the free entitlement for three and four-year-olds. This amount is up from around £1 billion in 1997-98.
	In 2010-11, funding of £340 million has been made available to local authorities through the Standards Fund to fund the 2.5 hours per week extension to the three and four-year-old free entitlement and flexible delivery.
	Local authorities will shortly be submitting their budget plans to the Department for the 2010-11 financial year, as required by section 251 of the Apprenticeships Skills Children and Learners Act 2009.

Schools: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on repairing schools in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in each year since 1997; and what proportion of that expenditure was spent on schools which failed to meet standards on acoustics.

Vernon Coaker: Repairs which bring schools back to their original state constitute a revenue expense, and are paid out of revenue funding. Repairs which amount to capital improvement, such as a better insulation, are payable from capital allocations.
	School revenue and capital allocations are not made directly to Castle Point, but to Essex county council. School-based revenue expenditure on repair and maintenance is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Essex  England 
			 1999-2000 14,003,000 631,994,000 
			 2000-01 19,815,000 670,942,000 
			 2001-02 24,214,000 729,882,000 
			 2002-03 14,780,000 503,199,000 
			 2003-04 14,309,000 501,233,000 
			 2004-05 15,794,000 550,301,000 
			 2005-06 15,662,000 608,386,000 
			 2006-07 17,869,000 645,680,000 
			 2007-08 18,993,000 731,938,000 
			 2008-09 20,815,000 738,599,000 
			  Notes: 1. Up to 2001-02, the figures cover all expenditure on non-capital building works, including repairs and maintenance of buildings, and non-capital expenditure on fixed plant and grounds. 2. From 2002-03, the definition of the figures is: Building maintenance and improvement, including: Charges by contractors for internal and external repair, maintenance and improvement to buildings and fixed plant including costs of labour and materials; Related professional and technical services, including labour costs where supplied as part of the contract/service; Costs of materials and equipment used by directly employed staff for internal and external repair, maintenance and improvement to buildings and fixed plant; Fixtures and fittings e.g. carpet, curtains, etc. 3. All figures rounded to the nearest £1,000. 
		
	
	Capital allocations by the Department to Essex in each year since 1997-98 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 11.4 
			 1998-99 15.5 
			 1999-2000 21.9 
			 2000-01 57.3 
			 2001-02 48.9 
			 2002-03 95.5 
			 2003-04 77.4 
			 2004-05 80.2 
			 2005-06 72.4 
			 2006-07 56.7 
			 2007-08 66.4 
			 2008-09 109.4 
			 2009-10 107.9 
			 2010-11 266.8 
		
	
	Information is not held on the proportion of expenditure spent on acoustic improvements in schools.

Schools: Salford

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what capital funding was allocated to schools in Salford in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2009;
	(2)  how many schools in Salford have been  (a) rebuilt and  (b) significantly refurbished since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Capital funding allocated by the Department to schools in Salford amounted to:  (a) £5.5 million in 1997-98; and  (b) £18.9 million in 2009-10.
	Since 1997, the 2007 and 2009 building survey returns received from Salford City Council, show there have been:  (a) 17 schools (eight Primary and nine Secondary) rebuilt; and  (b) 14 schools (13 Primary and one Secondary) significantly refurbished. A significant refurbishment is deemed to apply when over 50 per cent. of the school floor area has changed.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department provides to schools on options to be offered to  (a) pupils by careers services offered in schools and  (b) training of staff of such services.

Iain Wright: holding answer 24 February 2010
	In October 2009 we published 'Quality, Choice and Aspiration: A strategy for young people's information, advice and guidance', which sets out a range of resources and support for the school work force, including training and development, to improve the delivery of information, advice and guidance.
	Alongside the strategy we published statutory guidance on impartial careers education, setting out how schools must deliver high quality impartial information about learning options that promotes the best interests of pupils. An accompanying resources pack supports schools in implementing the statutory guidance. The provision of careers advice in schools is based on a partnership between the school and the Connexions service and other specialist services commissioned by the local authority. We will shortly consult on draft Directions and statutory guidance for local authorities in the delivery of such services.

Social Services: Doncaster

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what reasons Mr. Mark Hodson gave his Department for leaving his post as Director of Children's Services in Doncaster in 2007.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 25 January 2010
	Like all employees Mark Hodson was appointed by Doncaster council in accordance with its recruitment procedures. Similarly Mark Hodson's decision to step down from his post as Doncaster council's Director of Children's Services in 2007 was a matter between Mark Hodson and the council.

Vetting: Local Education Authorities

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury of 16 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1106W, on schools: vetting, what guidance has been given to local authorities on whether  (a) lead member councillors and  (b) other councillors required to register under the vetting and barring scheme will also be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Dawn Primarolo: No guidance has been issued to local authorities on whether lead members and other councillors who are required to register under the vetting and barring scheme will also be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks. Individual councillors may currently undergo CRB checks because of particular functions they may exercise for the local authority for which they are a member, for example being a member of the local authority's fostering or adoption panel. The Government confirmed in their response to Sir Roger Singleton's report 'Drawing the Line' on the vetting and barring scheme,  Official Report, 14 December 2009, column 50WS, that they intends to review their requirements for CRB disclosures.

CABINET OFFICE

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2010,  Official Report, column 401W, on 10 Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, what the nature is of the works that have been undertaken as part of Project George to date.

Angela Smith: The Government are legally required to maintain the Downing Street complex to standards appropriate to its Grade I and II listed status in consultation with English Heritage. In addition to providing office accommodation the building also fulfils an important representational role. The last significant refurbishment works at the Downing street complex were undertaken between 1960 and 1963. As a result much of the infrastructure required renewal or upgrading. Essential improvements are being undertaken through ongoing annual maintenance works.

Cancer: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cancer mortality rate was in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated February 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the cancer mortality rate was in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (318103)
	The table attached provides the age-standardised mortality rate, where cancer was the underlying cause of death in (a) Essex county and (b) Castle Point local authority, in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008 (the latest year available).
	Figures for Essex county do not include deaths in Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities, which were part of the former County of Essex.
	
		
			  Table 1. Age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population( 1,2) , where cancer was the underlying cause of death,( 3)  Essex county and Castle Point local authority,( 4)  1997 and 2008( 5) 
			  Area  Year  Rate  95% Confidence Interval 
			 Essex 1997 181 (175-187) 
			  2008 167 (162-172) 
			 Castle Point 1997 192 (167-217) 
			  2008 167 (147-187) 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Confidence intervals are a measure of the statistical precision of an estimate and show the range of uncertainty around the estimated figure. Calculations based on small numbers of events are often subject to random fluctuations. As a general rule, if the confidence interval around one figure overlaps with the interval around another, we cannot say with certainty that there is more than a chance difference between the two figures. (3) Cause of death for cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 140-208 for 1997 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97 for 2008. (4) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Census

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what timetable has been set for laying before Parliament and seeking approval for the Census Regulations relating to the 2011 Census;
	(2)  what the timetable is for the laying and ratification of the Census regulations for the 2011 Census; and whether they will be subject to positive, negative or hybrid resolution.

Angela Smith: I expect to lay the Census (England) Regulations 2010 before both Houses of Parliament within the next couple of weeks. In accordance with the Census Act 1920, the regulations will be subject to negative resolution.

Census

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the contracts let for services relating to the 2011 Census contain break clauses.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2010:
	As the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking whether the contracts let for the services relating to the 2011 Census contain break clauses. (318127)
	Every commercial contract agreed in respect of the 2011 Census programme contains break clauses. This is normal public procurement practice. As the majority of contracts are fixed price, ONS would incur financial penalties if these break clauses were invoked for reasons other than poor contractor performance.
	This information was given in answer to a question from Nick Hurd MP, Official Report, 3 December, column 955W.

Charities: Hizb ut-Tahrir

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many investigations under the Charities Act 2006 the Charity Commission has conducted relating to breaches of articles on the grounds of  (a) political activity and  (b) providing a platform to Hizb ut-Tahrir and associated groups; and how many (i) mosques and (ii) other charitable organisations have had their charitable status revoked following investigations of each type.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew Hind, dated 23 February 2010:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question (318531) on how many investigations under the Charities Act the Charity Commission has conducted relating to breaches of articles on the grounds of (a) political activity and (b) providing a platform to Hizb ut-Tahrir and associated groups; and how many (i) mosques and (ii) other charitable organisations have had their charitable status revoked following investigations of each type.
	Your question refers to 'investigations'. It may be helpful to provide some background information on the way in which we carry out our investigatory compliance work, which has changed significantly over recent years. Prior to our strategic review in 2005, our practice was to carry out all investigations as formal statutory inquiries under section 8 of the Charities Act 1993. We now carry out a wider range of compliance work dealing with problems in charities. This includes assessment cases, monitoring, non-statutory investigations that we call regulatory compliance cases, as well as section 8 statutory inquiries. We now reserve statutory inquiries only for the most serious cases of regulatory concern. Last year, for example, we conducted 1,504 assessment cases and 211 monitoring cases, and completed 167 regulatory compliance cases and 21 statutory inquiries.
	The statistical information we hold for the purposes of our investigations is not designed to identify the sort of data you are looking for. However, I have looked at our statistics for both non-statutory investigations and statutory inquiries for the last three complete financial years going back to 2006-07 and can provide the following information.
	In relation to (a), we have carried out 29 investigations regarding political activity since 2006-07, out a total of 736 investigations. These 29 investigations were to examine allegations or concerns about inappropriate political activity and campaigning by charities, or charities making political donations or giving support to a political party. I should point out that revocation of charitable status is not a legal remedy if a charity has broken political campaigning rules. Our role in these cases is to make good the breach (for example, to ensure inappropriate payment by a charity to a political party is repaid) and ensure steps are taken to prevent recurrence.
	As you may know, charities can campaign and undertake political activity but cannot have political purposes. If we find that an organisation, although registered as a charity, does in fact have a political purpose, it cannot be a charity in law. In these cases, we would remove the organisation from the Register of Charities because it was never in fact a charity. Our records show that we have removed two charities from the Register on this basis: one in October 2001 and the other in July 2004. Regarding part (i) of your question, I can confirm that neither of these organisations were mosques.
	In relation to (b), our statistical information does not allow us to readily identify on a historical basis cases regarding allegations that a charity may have provided a platform to Hizb ut-Tahrir. However, I can confirm that we have no current statutory or non-statutory investigations into such concerns.
	I hope this is a helpful response to your question.

Civil Servants: Pay

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which of the jobs advertised on the  (a) internal and  (b) public versions of the Civil Service jobs website had salaries of £150,000 or over in the last six months.  [Official Report, 8 April 2010, Vol. 508, c. 15MC.]

Angela Smith: Not all vacancies advertised on the civil service jobs site show salary details. Of those that were advertised in the last six months showing salary details, 43 roles fell within the £81,600 to £220,000 salary range.
	The total figure of 43 was made up of 11 jobs advertised on the public part of the civil service jobs site and 32 on the internal part of the site.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) her Department,  (b) the Prime Minister's Office,  (c) the Office of the Leader of the House and  (d) the executive agencies for which her Department is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in each (i) Office and (ii) agency is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.

Angela Smith: The Prime Minister's Office and the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	The latest information for which figures are available on the number and proportion of staff that are disabled in Cabinet Office is contained in the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) statistics published on the Office for National Statistics website and can be found at table '38' at this link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/Civil-service-tables-2009-final.xls
	This information is also shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Number of disabled employees 50 
			 Number of non-disabled employees 690 
			 Number of employees not declared or non-response 590 
			 Total number of employees 1,330 
			 All employees with known disability status 740 
			 Disabled employees as percentage of known disability status 6.8 
		
	
	The latest information from the Office of National Statistics, which is not published, on which figures are available on the median gross annual earnings of full-time and part-time disabled and non-disabled staff in Cabinet Office is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Median earnings (£) 
			   Disabled  Non-disabled 
			 Full-time 30,000 33,881 
			 Part-time 27,100 27,530

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many designs for its website her Department has commissioned since 2005.

Tessa Jowell: The Cabinet Office has commissioned one design for its website since 2005.

Employment

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether a recent estimate has been made of the number of  (a) public and  (b) private sector employees in each constituency.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated February 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking whether a recent estimate has been made of the number of (a) public and (b) private sector employees in each constituency. I am replying in his absence. (318122)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Individuals are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the APS. Consequently, the classification of an individual's sector may differ from how they would be classified in the National Accounts.
	Table 1, shows the number of persons employed in the public and private sectors in each constituency in Great Britain from the APS for the period July 2008 to June 2009. Estimates for Northern Ireland are not available. As the information requested is quite extensive, a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in table 1.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Employment Tribunals Service

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many employment disputes involving staff of her Department have been taken to an employment tribunal in the last four years; and what the  (a) grounds of dispute and  (b) outcome was of each.

Angela Smith: There was one employment dispute taken to an employment tribunal in November 2009. The basis of the dispute was unfair constructive dismissal. The claim was dismissed by the tribunal.

Government Departments: Advertising

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of Government advertising expenditure which is not administered by the Central Office of Information.

Tessa Jowell: This information is not collected centrally. Each Government Department, agency and NDPB is responsible for setting its own communications priorities and outputs, and each Secretary of State is responsible to Parliament.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Chesterfield

Paul Holmes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many young people aged 16 and 17 years in  (a) Chesterfield and  (b) Derbyshire have claimed jobseeker's allowance in each year since 2005.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated February 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many young people aged 16 and 17 years in (a) Chesterfield and (b) Derbyshire have claimed jobseeker's allowance in each year since 2005.1 am replying in his absence. (318765)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. Table 1 shows the number of people aged 16 and 17 resident in Chesterfield parliamentary constituency, Chesterfield local authority and Derbyshire claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in January 2010 and January of each year since 2005.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons( 1)  aged 16 and 17 claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in Chesterfield parliamentary constituency, Chesterfield local authority and Derbyshire 
			   Chesterfield (pc)  Chesterfield (la)  Derbyshire 
			 January 2005 40 40 135 
			 January 2006 30 30 115 
			 January 2007 20 20 95 
			 January 2008 15 20 85 
			 January 2009 5 5 65 
			 January 2010 5 5 45 
			 (1) Age data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims.  Note: Data rounded to nearest five.  Source: Job-centre Plus Administrative System

New Businesses: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many businesses have started up in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated February 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many businesses have started up in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point since 1997. I am replying in his absence.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available for 2002 onwards from the ONS release on Business Demography at www.statistics.gov.uk
	The following table contains the latest statistics available on business births for Essex and Castle Point.
	
		
			  Enterprise births for Essex and Castle Point 2002-2008 
			   Essex county  Castle Point 
			 2002 6,055 340 
			 2003 6,590 340 
			 2004 6,980 355 
			 2005 6,560 390 
			 2006 6,315 360 
			 2007 6,880 370 
			 2008 6,770 340

Personal Income

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average income of a household in the  (a) private rented sector and  (b) social rented sector was in each of the last three years.

Helen Goodman: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is given in the table for periods where data are available.
	In each of the three years those households living in private rented sector accommodation have had higher median incomes than those living in the social rented sector on both a before and after housing basis. This pattern is to be expected as poverty rates tend to be higher for the social rented sector.
	Before housing costs, the median household income of private rented sector tenants was between about £360 and £370 per week (between about £250 and £260 per week after housing costs). In the same period the median household income of social rented sector tenants remained fairly constant at around £280 per week (around £210 per week after housing costs).
	
		
			  Median household income by rented sector, 2005-06 to 2007-08, £ per week, before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC), in 2007-08 prices, United Kingdom 
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			   BHC  AHC  BHC  AHC  BHC  AHC 
			 Private rented sector 368 257 357 250 365 260 
			 Social rented sector 281 210 281 210 279 211 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. Both of these documents are available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development equivalisation factors. 6. Median incomes have been provided rather than mean incomes because the income distribution is skewed with some outliers with high incomes. 7. Incomes are presented in 2007-08 prices and have been rounded to the nearest pound sterling.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP

Political Parties: Copyright

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Crown copyright permission has been granted to political parties for the reproduction of artwork or content from the  (a) Building Britain's Future and  (b) Real Help Now campaigns.

Tessa Jowell: None.
	Building Britain's Future is a Government initiative and we will ensure that it is not misrepresented by political parties or other organisations.
	It is acceptable for other organisations to highlight Government initiatives as long as they are clear that they are Government initiatives. Building Britain's Future and Real Help Now have been referred to by a number of third party organisations in this way.

Public Bodies: Pay

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many officials in each public sector body earn more than £150,000.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	Individual pay decisions are made by individual public sector bodies and Departments so this information is not held centrally. The Office for National Statistics collects the annual salaries of civil servants, as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) and I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him on 20 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 1035-1036W.
	Following the 2009 pre-Budget report, all public sector bodies subject to direct ministerial control will be required to publish the salary, including benefits in kind and the level of any bonus, of named individuals paid more than £150,000 to the nearest £5,000 and the number of staff paid more than £50,000 in £5,000 increments. The Government will expect other public bodies to comply with this level of disclosure.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Antarctic

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long on average his Department's Polar Regions Unit took to process an application for a British expedition to Antarctica in the last 12 months.

Chris Bryant: Our website states that permit applications should be submitted to us as far in advance as possible, and not less than six months before the applicant intends to travel to Antarctica so there is adequate time to work with applicants to resolve any queries and ensure a smooth permitting process. Experience has shown that the time it takes to process an application can vary depending on the type of activities the applicant wishes to complete and the type of permit they are applying for.
	In all cases we aim to process applications as quickly as possible following receipt.

Bletchley Park

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to recognise those who worked at Bletchley Park during the Second World War in the last 10 years.

Chris Bryant: On 9 July 2009 I announced the launch of the Bletchley Park Commemorative Badge, to honour those who worked at Bletchley Park and its outstations during the Second World War. The launch was marked by a special ceremony at Bletchley Park on 9 October 2009, which my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary attended. Since its launch, over 2500 badges and accompanying certificates have been awarded to surviving veterans. In addition to the Commemorative Badge a bound Roll of Honour will be created containing the names of all those that worked at Bletchley Park and its outstations during the Second World War, which will be located at Bletchley Park and on their website.

British Nationals Abroad: Prisoners

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of British citizens who have been subject to (a) torture and  (b) other cruel and degrading punishments consequent upon conviction of criminal offences in overseas jurisdictions.

Chris Bryant: We are not aware of any British nationals who are currently facing torture or other cruel and degrading punishments consequent upon conviction of criminal offences in overseas jurisdictions. We are opposed to torture and mistreatment in all circumstances. If we have reason to believe that a British national in detention is being mistreated, whether prior to or following conviction, then with the permission of the individual we will take all appropriate action to ensure that mistreatment stops, and that the incident is investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.

British Nationals Abroad: Prisoners

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of British citizens who are under sentence of death in other jurisdictions; and what steps he is taking to assist such individuals.

Chris Bryant: We are currently aware of eight British nationals sentenced to death and a further 26 facing charges which may attract the death penalty. The Government are strongly opposed to the death penalty. We express our opposition to its use on British nationals at whatever stage and level is judged appropriate from the moment when the imposition of a death sentence becomes a possibility.

Burma: Asylum

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the government of Thailand on its proposals to deport Karen refugees back to Burma.

Chris Bryant: The Government are closely monitoring reports about the possible forced return of Karen refugees to Burma. Our ambassador to Thailand has raised our concerns with the Thai Foreign Minister and with the Secretary-General of the National Security Council stressing the importance of adherence to international standards and to Thailand's international obligations. We understand that the Royal Thai Government decided not to deport the 30 families it had originally identified for removal. We will continue to co-ordinate closely with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, US and EU partners and will continue to raise any concerns with Thai authorities.

David Proctor

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what representations he has received in respect of Mr. David Proctor, a UK citizen who has been refused permission to leave the State of Qatar;
	(2)  what representations Her Majesty's Government has made to the Government of the State of Qatar in respect of Mr. David Proctor; what consular assistance has been provided to Mr. Proctor by his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what investigations have been made by Her Majesty's Government into the circumstances surrounding the detention of Mr. David Proctor by the authorities in the State of Qatar; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what recent discussions he has had with the Ambassador of the State of Qatar about the detention of Mr. David Proctor in Qatar;
	(5)  what plans he has for discussions of the case of Mr. David Proctor with the Ambassador of the State of Qatar; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: Our embassy in Doha are aware of Mr. Proctor's case and have been providing consular assistance. The embassy has also expressed concern about the length of time it is taking to resolve his situation. Since the end of January our ambassador in Qatar has met with Mr. Proctor and has had two subsequent telephone conversations with him. Our consul has also had two separate meetings with him, and Mrs. Proctor had two meetings with consular staff during her recent visit to London. We will continue to stay in touch with Mr. Proctor and the Qatari authorities.
	Our embassy in Doha has raised Mr. Proctor's case with the Qatari authorities to establish the nature of the investigation into him and the existence of a ban on his leaving Qatar while the investigation is ongoing. As of 22 February 2010, no charges had been brought against him, but the Public Prosecution Department's investigation into allegations made by his former employer continues.
	Mr. Proctor is not being held in detention by the Qatari authorities but the embassy have received confirmation that an administrative travel ban remains in place which will not be lifted until the investigation is resolved. Additionally we understand that there are two separate legal matters running concurrently. The first is a financial dispute between Mr. Proctor and his former employer, the second a labour dispute lodged by Mr. Proctor against his former employer. We are unable to intervene in private legal issues.
	As the matter is being dealt with by our embassy in Qatar there have been no discussions with the Qatari ambassador in London.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in (i) his Department and (ii) the executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.

Chris Bryant: The proportion of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff declaring a disability, and the median earnings of full-time and part-time staff, both disabled and non-disabled, are given in Annexes A and B of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey statistics published by the Office for National Statistics on 20 January 2010. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library of the House. Separate figures are given for the FCO's executive agency, Wilton Park.

Dubai: Interpol

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK's Ambassador in Tel Aviv has had discussions with the British passport holders named in the Interpol request following the murder of Mr Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai on the circumstances in which their passport details may have been compromised.

Chris Bryant: The UK is providing support to the British nationals who have been affected by this fraudulent activity. Our officials at the British embassy in Tel Aviv have contacted the affected British nationals, and stand ready to provide them with the support that they need.

GCHQ: Internet

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure has been incurred on the Mastering the Internet programme at GCHQ to date.

Chris Bryant: holding answer 24 February 2010
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire) on 15 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1088W, namely that Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) continues to invest to maintain its capabilities in the face of growth in internet-based communications. The use of internet technologies and skills are one of the greatest challenges GCHQ has to master in order to deliver intelligence in accordance with its statutory purposes set out in the Intelligence Services Act 1994 (section 3). In the interests of national security detailed figures on Security and Intelligence Agency expenditure are not made public, but are subject to parliamentary scrutiny through the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). The ISC's annual report for 2007-08 was published in March 2009.

Iran

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk of other countries in the Middle East taking military action against Iran.

Chris Bryant: There is widespread speculation about the possibility of military action against Iran as a result of its refusal to engage seriously with the international community over its nuclear programme. We have made clear that we are totally committed to finding a diplomatic solution to this issue in order to avoid the serious consequences of diplomacy failing. We will continue to work intensively with our partners to that end.

Iran

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on further sanctions against Iran.

Chris Bryant: The Government continue to pursue the dual track strategy of engagement and pressure to address the issue of Iran's nuclear programme. In that context, the Government support further appropriate use of sanctions designed to influence the regime decision making on the nuclear file.

Iran

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the threat posed by Iran to other countries in the Middle East.

Chris Bryant: We remain concerned by Iran's support for groups such as Hamas and Hizballah which threaten regional stability through violence, militia groups in Iraq and the Taleban in Afghanistan. We assess that Iran's ability to create instability in the Middle East would be greatly increased if it had a nuclear weapons capability. This underlines the urgency of finding a diplomatic solution to the issue of Iran's nuclear programme and we are working intensely with international partners to achieve this. Iran needs to engage with the international community and its regional neighbours to restore confidence in its intentions.

Iran

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of  (a) the threat posed to the UK by Iran and  (b) Iran's capacity to obtain nuclear weapons.

Chris Bryant: The latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report confirms our fears that Iran is acting duplicitously and illegally with their nuclear programme. Iran has ignored IAEA requests for information about the possible military dimension of their programme, has built a secret enrichment plant in Qom, and has enriched uranium up to 20 per cent. despite the IAEA telling them not to do so.
	The actions of the Iranian regime threaten the stability of the region as a whole, which has profound implications for the UK and highlights the need for the international community to impose appropriate sanctions in order to bring Iran back to negotiations.

Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission's scholarship programme.

Chris Bryant: We work very closely with the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission to maintain the reputation of the scholarship programme and to ensure that the best candidates are selected.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many intelligence-led stops have been generated by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition CCTV network in each year since 2006; whether approval under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 was obtained in each case; and whether such approvals have been disclosed in subsequent court proceedings.

David Hanson: The operation of police-owned Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems is the responsibility of individual chief officers and information relating to intelligence-led stops is not collated centrally.

Children: Abuse

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons a caution was issued in respect of  (a) rape and  (b) other offences of abuse of a child in the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office do not hold information concerning the issuing of a caution for each individual case.
	A caution for rape of a child must be sanctioned by the CPS and should only be used by the police in the most exceptional circumstances. It is a function of the police to consider cautions and it is a statutory duty of a Crown Prosecutor to consider whether a prosecution should proceed, taking into account the requirement for a reasonable prospect of conviction and the public interest in the particular prosecution in question.

Crimes Against the Person: Sevenoaks

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences against the person have been recorded in the Sevenoaks district in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 24 February 2010
	The requested information relates to offences of violence against the person recorded in the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) of Sevenoaks. CDRP data are available only since 1999-2000.
	The information requested is given in the following tables:
	
		
			  Table 1: Violence against the person, CDRP Sevenoaks, 1999-2000 to 2001-02 
			   Number 
			 1999-2000 504 
			 2000-01 443 
			 2001-02 374 
			  Note: The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Violence against the person, CDRP Sevenoaks, 2002-03 to 2008-09 
			   Number 
			 2002-03 767 
			 2003-04 702 
			 2004-05 782 
			 2005-06 933 
			 2006-07 962 
			 2007-08 723 
			 2008-09 723 
			  Note: The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Identity Cards

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Identity and Passport Service has made an estimate of the  (a) gross annual revenue likely to be generated from fees for the replacement of (i) lost and (ii) stolen identity cards and  (b) annual average number of cards per 1,000 identity card holders likely to be (A) lost and (B) stolen.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service is not forecasting any material volumes or income in relation to lost or stolen cards.

Identity Cards: Young People

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 41WS, on identity cards, how many people aged between 16 and 24 years old registered their interest in a voluntary identity card by 1 January 2010.

Meg Hillier: As of 1 January 2010 there were 2,662 registrations from people aged 16 to 24 on the Early Interest website.

National Identity Register

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2010,  Official Report, column 91W, on the national identity register, how many years after the death of an individual, that person's personal data will be removed from the register.

Meg Hillier: The Identity Cards Act 2006 provides that the date of death may be held on the national identity register. There is no set number of years for which this information may be retained as it will be retained for as long as is necessary, for example to prevent an individual's identity from being stolen after death.

Passports: Older People

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make an assessment of the merits of advancing the fee exemption date for passport applications for persons born before 2 September 1929 by one year each year.

Meg Hillier: There are no plans to extend the free passport scheme as it is not a simple age-related concession. It was introduced in 2004 by the then Home Secretary as a concession for veterans of the Second World War who were attending 60th Anniversary Commemorative Events. It was decided to extend the initial scheme to cover everyone who was 16 or older by the end of the war and so may have contributed to the war effort in a military or civilian capacity.

Police: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) the average budget for all police forces in England and  (b) the budget of Dorset Police was in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: holding answer 24 February 2010
	 Setting of budgets is a matter for individual police authorities.
	The information requested is provided in the table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   England police average budget  Dorset police authority budget 
			 2005-06 239,742,395 99,253,000 
			 2006-07 249,514,186 103,055,700 
			 2007-08 260,563,320 107,800,000 
			 2008-09 270,078,887 111,791,785 
			 2009-10 278,203,514 115,933,100 
			  Source: Data are taken from the Budget Requirement (BR) forms submitted annually by all billing and precepting authorities in England to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The England police average includes that part of the Greater London Authority that relates solely to the Metropolitan police.

Police: Manpower

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in  (a) Dorset and  (b) Bournemouth in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: holding answer 24 February 2010
	The available data are provided in the table.
	This and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Police officer strength in Bournemouth and Dorset, as at 31 March 2005 to 2009, and September 2009 
			  Full-time equivalent( 1) 
			   Bournemouth  Bournemouth and Poole  Dorset 
			 2005(2) 317 n/a 1,475 
			 2006(2) 319 n/a 1,512 
			 2007(2) 315 n/a 1,526 
			 2008(2) 317 n/a 1,518 
			 2009(2) n/a 506 1,512 
			 September 2009 n/a (3)- 1,489 
			 n/a = Not applicable. not available. (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures include officers on career break or maternity/paternity leave. (2) Police personnel statistics are not collected by parliamentary constituency. Data have been provided for Bournemouth Basic Command Unit for 2005 to 2008. In 2009, the Basic Command Unit breakdown within Dorset changed. The figure for 2009 is for 'Bournemouth and Poole'. (3) Not available.  Note: The latest available information at force level is as at 30 September 2009, while the latest available information at Basic Command Unit level is at 31 March 2009.

Prosecutions: EU Action

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the establishment of an Office of the European Public Prosecutor; and what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on such an office in the last three months.

Meg Hillier: The Government have consistently opposed the creation of a European Public Prosecutor (EPP).
	Were such a proposal to emerge, it would have to be agreed by unanimity of all participating member states. The UK would also have the choice of whether or not to participate by virtue of our Protocol to the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which says that we are opted out of any proposals in this area unless we choose to opt-in. So the UK could not be bound to accept any such measure.
	The Home Secretary has not held dedicated discussions on this issue with any European counterparts. But within the context of negotiations on the new JHA work programme (the Stockholm Programme) there were wider discussions among EU member states on the future establishment of a European Public Prosecutor (EPP). As part of those discussions, the UK argued against the need for an EPP. The Stockholm Programme makes reference to the EPP as one possibility to further develop EUROJUST (the EU judicial cooperation agency) following an evaluation of its effectiveness during the next five-year period.

Rape: Children

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many cases in which a person suspected of having raped a child was issued with a caution the decision to issue a caution was taken on grounds of the inability of the alleged victim to give evidence in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The number of offenders cautioned in England and Wales for rape of a person aged under 16 years, from 2004 to 2008 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Data for 2009 are expected to be published in the autumn, 2010.
	The Home Office does not hold information concerning the issuing of a caution for each individual case.
	A caution for rape of a child must be sanctioned by the CPS and should only be used by the police in the most exceptional circumstances. It is a function of the police to consider cautions and it is a statutory duty of a Crown Prosecutor to consider whether a prosecution should proceed, taking into account the requirement for a reasonable prospect of conviction and the public interest in the particular prosecution in question.
	
		
			  Number of offenders cautioned( 1,2)  for rape of a person aged under 16 years( 3) , England and Wales 2004 to 2008( 4) 
			   Number 
			 2004 30 
			 2005 20 
			 2006 13 
			 2007 30 
			 2008 32 
			 (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (3 )Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. (Ref: IOS 073-10)

Tetra: Health Hazards

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from organisations representing police officers on reports of ill health among police officers assigned to duties near Tetra masts.

David Hanson: Since the rollout of Airwave radio in 2001, the Government have funded research into the safety of Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) technology. None of the research to date has produced any evidence that Airwave terminals or masts are harmful to the health of police officers or the public.
	The Police Federation of England and Wales and the Scottish Police Federation support the view that Airwave TETRA radio is an effective communications tool that enhances officer safety. They maintain a strong interest in the short and long-term health effects of Airwave.

Theft: Motor Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many thefts of cars facilitated through the theft of car keys there have been in each London borough in each month of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The requested information is not available at borough level.
	Figures on this matter are collected on a quarterly basis at police force area level only in England and Wales. A national level summary of these data are published in the annual Statistical Bulletin Crime in England and Wales for 2007-08 and 2008-09 respectively; copies of which are available in the Library.

Vetting

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2010,  Official Report, column 90W, on the Independent Safeguarding Authority, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of people likely to be subject to Independent Safeguarding Authority registration in the first 12 months of its operation.

Meg Hillier: For the period July 2010 to 30 June 2011 we currently forecast that approximately 1,770,000 individuals will apply to become ISA-registered through the Criminal Records Bureau. This represents approximately 3 per cent. of the total population (56.2 million) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities  (a) have transferred and  (b) have plans to transfer assets under the (i) Asset Transfer Fund and (ii) Advancing Assets programme to date.

Barbara Follett: With reference to the Asset Transfer Fund, I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the Community Assets Fund which is now known as the Community Assets Programme. The following table shows the local authorities that have been awarded funding through (i) the Community Assets Programme towards renovating assets for transfer; and (ii) those that have been supported through the Advancing Assets for Communities Demonstration Programme in each of the three years since 2007 to enable them to advance specific asset transfer projects.
	The Community Assets Programme is designated as 'CAP' in the table and Advancing Assets for Communities is designated as 'AA' followed by the year in which they were supported by the programme:
	
		
			  Local authority  Programme 
			 Allerdale BC AAY2 and CAP 
			 Ashfield District Council AAY1 and CAP 
			 Barnsley MBC AAY2 and CAP 
			 Barrow in Furness Borough Council CAP 
			 Bedfordshire County Council CAP- 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council CAP 
			 Bradford MBC AAY2 and CAP 
			 Brighton and Hove City Council AAY2 
			 Bristol City Council AAY3 and CAP 
			 Calderdale MBC AAY2 
			 Charnwood Borough Council CAP 
			 Cheshire County Council AAY1 
			 Chester City Council AAY2 
			 Chester-Le Street District Council CAP 
			 City of Lincoln Council AAY3 
			 Coventry City Council AAY3 
			 Cumbria County Council AAY1 
			 Dacorum Borough Council AAY1 
			 Derbyshire County Council CAP 
			 Devon County Council AAY1 
			 Erewash Borough Council AAY3 
			 Forest Heath District Council AAY1 
			 Fylde Borough Council AAY3 
			 Gateshead MBC AAY2 and CAP 
			 Halton Borough Council CAP 
			 Hampshire County Council CAP 
			 Hartlepool Borough Council CAP 
			 Hastings Borough Council AAY1 and CAP 
			 Herefordshire Council AAY2 and CAP 
			 Hertfordshire County Council CAP 
			 High Peak Borough Council AAY2 
			 Hull City Council AAY2 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council AAY2 
			 Kirklees MBC AAY1 
			 Lancashire County Council AAY3 
			 LB Barking and Dagenham AAY2 and CAP 
			 LB Bexley AAY2 
			 LB Havering CAP 
			 LB Hillingdon CAP 
			 LB Lambeth AAY1, AAY3 and CAP 
			 LB Lewisham AAY1 
			 LB Southwark AAY2 and CAP 
			 LB Tower Hamlets AAY1 and CAP 
			 LB Wandsworth CAP 
			 Leeds City Council AAY1 
			 Leicester City Council AAY2 
			 Liverpool City Council CAP 
			 London Borough of Camden AAY3 
			 London Borough of Greenwich AAY3 
			 London Borough of Islington AAY3 
			 Maidstone Borough Council AAY2 
			 Newark and Sherwood District Council AAY2 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council AAY2 and CAP 
			 North Hertfordshire District Council AAY2 
			 North Lincolnshire Council CAP 
			 North Norfolk District Council AAY3 
			 North Tyneside District Council AAY1 
			 Northamptonshire County Council AAY2 
			 Northumberland County Council AAY2 
			 Nottingham City Council AAY1 
			 Oxford City Council AAY2 
			 Peterborough City Council AAY1 
			 Plymouth City Council CAP 
			 Portsmouth City Council AAY2 
			 Restormel BC AAY1 
			 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council AAY3 
			 Rugby Borough Council AAY3 
			 Salford City Council AAY3 
			 Sandwell MBC AAY3 
			 Sedgefield Borough Council CAP 
			 Sedgemoor District Council AAY2 
			 Sheffield City Council AAY1 
			 South Gloucestershire District Council AAY2 
			 Southampton City Council AAY3 
			 Staffordshire County Council AAY3 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands District Council AAY3 
			 Stockton Borough Council CAP 
			 Stoke-on-Trent City Council AAY2 and CAP 
			 Swale Borough Council AAY3 
			 Tameside MBC AAY3 
			 Torbay Council AAY2 
			 Torridge District Council AAY3 
			 Tynedale District Council AAY1 
			 Warrington Borough Council CAP 
			 Warwick District Council AAY1 
			 West Lancashire District Council CAP 
			 West Lindsey District Council AAY2 and CAP 
			 Wirral Council AAY2 
			 Wolverhampton City Council AAY3 
			 Worcester City Council AAY2 
			 Worthing Borough Council CAP 
			 York (City of) Council CAP 
			  Key: CAP = Community Assets Programme AAY1 = Advancing Assets 2007-08 AAY2 = Advancing Assets 2008-09 AAY3 = Advancing Assets 2009-10

Empty Property: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty properties were brought back into housing stock by West Lancashire borough council in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Ian Austin: Information on the number of empty properties that were brought back into housing stock in 2008 and 2009 by West Lancashire borough council is not held centrally.

Fire Brigades Union

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 22 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1643W, on the Fire Brigades Union, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting referred to in the Answer.

Shahid Malik: It is not our practice to place internal notes of confidential meetings between Ministers and other parties in the Library of the House.

Fire Services: Emergency Calls

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's publication entitled FiReControl Project: Equalities Impact Assessment, December 2009, what the reasons were for the time taken to undertake the SMS emergency number project; and how much had been spent on that project on the latest date for which figures are available.

Shahid Malik: The SMS emergency number project is managed and part funded by British Telecommunications plc, with additional funding from the mobile service providers. While the project is welcomed by the Government and emergency services, information about the cost to BT is not available to CLG. It is not part of the FiReControl Project.

Housing: Equality

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Equality Bill on the operation of  (a) the Tenants Services Authority,  (b) the Homes and Communities Agency and  (c) registered social landlords.

John Healey: Following Royal Assent, the Government intend to add-by secondary legislation-a number of bodies to the list of public authorities in Schedule 19 to the Equality Bill, including the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), thereby making them subject to the proposed public sector equality duty.
	The TSA is currently consulting on a Single Equalities Scheme that takes account of the requirements under the proposed Equality Bill. The consultation paper is available on the TSA's website:
	www.tenantservicesauthority.org/upload/doc/Single_equalities_scheme.doc
	The HCA introduced a Single Equality Scheme in November 2009 following extensive consultation. This is available on the HCA's website:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/equality
	Registered social landlords (RSLs) are not listed as public bodies in the Bill. The Government do not intend to add them through secondary legislation.
	It is for individual RSLs, as independent organisations, to ensure that they comply with all applicable legislation.

Housing: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the £84 million for cavity wall insulation in the social sector announced in April has been spent in each region.

Ian Austin: The funds from the Social Housing Energy Savings Programme are released in arrears after landlords have already made their expenditure. The Homes and Communities Agency monitor financial output on a quarterly basis. The first schemes to start to invest under this programme began in quarter 3 of 2009-10, the HCA do not yet have final output figures. A table of allocations by region split over the two years of the programme follows.
	
		
			  Social housing energy savings programme 
			  £ 
			  Region  Allocations in 2009-10  Allocations in 2010-11 
			 East 717,288 - 
			 East Midlands 977,185 1,231,965 
			 East of England 680,634 615,811 
			 London 30,535,391 24,304,397 
			 North East 651,625 200,655 
			 North West 3,049,696 2,505,473 
			 South East 1,534,224 82,762 
			 South west 467,906 85,381 
			 West Midlands 1,123,200 - 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 3,622,742 1,205,658 
			 Grand Total 43,359,891 30,232,102

Local Government: Bank Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assumptions affecting the next three years regarding write-off provisions for local authority losses in Icelandic banks his Department has made;
	(2)  what provision his Department has made for losses incurred by local authorities through investment in Icelandic banks.

Barbara Follett: Investment decisions are a matter for local authorities. It is for those local authorities which had investments in Icelandic banks to make provision in their financial plans for estimated losses.

Local Government: Bank Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the extent of losses incurred by local authorities through investment in Icelandic banks.

Barbara Follett: CLG has not made any such estimates. The Resolution Committee for Landsbanki and Glitnir and the UK administrators of Heritable and Kaupthing Singer and Friedland Ltd., have published information on likely rates of return. Local authorities are in direct contact with these administrators.

New Deal for Communities

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been granted under the new deal for communities in each  (a) local authority and  (b) lower layer super output area in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: The grant for each NDC by local authority area is shown in the following tables. It is not possible to provide spend or budget information at lower super output area (LSOA) because NDC areas are composed of several LSOAs, and are also often not consistent with LSOA boundaries. Allocations are, therefore, not able to be disaggregated to LSOA level.
	
		
			  Total all NDCs 
			  £ 
			   Spend 
			  NDC  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Birmingham - 3,054,814 3,783,947 7,628,331 10,681,208 
			 Bradford 877,016 5,004,267 8,096,186 8,612,566 10,148,297 
			 Brent - 707,557 2,306,759 4,346,533 7,106,527 
			 Brighton 1,289,700 3,714,670 6,806,066 7,610,470 8,938,785 
			 Bristol 746,401 2,791,653 5,293,432 7,690,397 8,337,702 
			 Coventry - 391,578 1,218,125 5,060,723 7,028,341 
			 Derby - 473,258 3,319,692 7,056,769 6,938,025 
			 Doncaster - 538,531 2,466,909 4,020,587 5,457,889 
			 Hackney 2,924,765 8,115,614 5,822,505 6,009,593 4,471,977 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham - 706,771 2,781,699 4,481,690 6,545,980 
			 Haringey - 1,875,618 4,714,787 8,887,609 6,855,000 
			 Hartlepool - 1,764,529 4,611,844 6,608,143 10,787,715 
			 Hull 1,145,584 5,507,438 8,044,630 10,573,968 15,251,841 
			 Islington - 456,011 1,591,354 3,619,843 5,104,604 
			 Knowsley - 409,922 3,478,639 4,852,870 6,443,415 
			 Lambeth - 871,773 2,507,615 3,987,351 8,405,470 
			 Leicester 794,000 2,369,365 4,206,653 8,759,411 11,043,377 
			 Lewisham - 610,447 2,815,432 4,142,648 4,829,045 
			 Liverpool 1,060,822 1,410,797 5,514,119 5,553,036 8,319,948 
			 Luton - - 5,843,539 3,705,412 4,593,903 
			 Manchester 4,517,002 6,595,067 8,312,353 17,169,048 3,873,624 
			 Middlesbrough 1,724,009 3,673,519 6,042,402 7,586,561 8,828,214 
			 Newcastle 659,947 2,761,860 4,891,826 8,063,602 8,383,350 
			 Newham 1,417,369 5,864,945 7,298,652 8,846,517 11,849,125 
			 Norwich 615,770 2,051,182 8,218,167 7,058,687 7,111,245 
			 Nottingham 432,537 3,659,598 4,924,528 7,186,119 8,302,249 
			 Oldham - 296,478 1,703,824 10,493,592 6,155,203 
			 Plymouth - 437,773 2,125,581 2,898,915 3,265,149 
			 Rochdale 218,650 860,798 5,374,676 6,006,212 5,222,646 
			 Salford - 515,253 3,763,625 4,830,176 7,243,745 
			 Sandwell 1,863,591 3,757,164 4,791,949 7,304,721 5,536,404 
			 Sheffield - 730,755 2,924,157 5,655,717 8,666,269 
			 Southampton - 681,474 1,849,953 3,831,104 4,096,800 
			 Southwark 393,910 1,395,064 3,791,595 3,925,648 4,814,389 
			 Sunderland 123,847 526,951 3,849,191 3,849,191 5,554,562 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,437,751 2,483,057 5,293,028 6,364,966 5,583,320 
			 Walsall - 610,561 3,785,574 3,023,839 10,246,772 
			 Wolverhampton - 215,660 1,628,049 3,310,375 4,455,965 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			   Spend  Budget 
			  NDC  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Birmingham 11,056,266 10,942,262 11,306,167 16,467,000 21,862,451 
			 Bradford 9,610,665 6,272,498 3,676,000 1,013,000 40,000 
			 Brent 8,086,377 5,921,783 7,660,000 6,400,000 3,748,000 
			 Brighton 7,774,012 6,296,699 3,684,973 1,147,000 73,000 
			 Bristol 7,598,855 7,730,343 6,698,000 3,043,000 1,360,587 
			 Coventry 7,256,158 7,350,415 10,300,000 8,500,000 4,022,000 
			 Derby 7,248,951 5,679,750 5,701,092 2,050,000 1,006,000 
			 Doncaster 4,673,373 5,702,411 7,109,517 9,146,000 8,878,000 
			 Hackney 7,973,141 5,901,841 8,743,814 7,079,934 3,861,856 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 7,689,383 6,371,395 6,199,459 4,459,000 3,725,335 
			 Haringey 8,955,388 6,552,986 6,427,324 3,710,000 1,557,000 
			 Hartlepool 10,829,298 5,840,220 5,780,674 4,033,000 2,700,000 
			 Hull 6,741,508 5,470,953 3,940,000 1,105,566 1,493,220 
			 Islington 6,656,029 6,784,000 7,352,213 6,942,000 6,777,000 
			 Knowsley 6,554,737 9,240,623 8,183,858 11,566,000 3,934,000 
			 Lambeth 8,779,799 12,625,802 10,123,271 7,870,000 1,768,701 
			 Leicester 7,247,249 6,056,865 5,699,788 3,529,000 2,079,112 
			 Lewisham 7,540,555 7,301,494 8,429,260 4,117,507 3,280,939 
			 Liverpool 8,513,718 8,083,605 7,158,053 10,050,000 6,086,000 
			 Luton 5,433,480 4,820,325 7,357,004 4,560,000 7,024,221 
			 Manchester 1,675,349 2,744,619 2,295,879 2,304,000 2,195,000 
			 Middlesbrough 10,034,779 6,412,280 4,256,000 2,484,000 1,050,000 
			 Newcastle 6,946,580 6,019,507 6,245,220 4,580,000 6,388,522 
			 Newham 8,655,410 2,546,927 4,130,000 3,141,000 1,650,452 
			 Norwich 5,711,146 2,419,000 950,000 2,170,000 254,890 
			 Nottingham 7,617,140 7,741,459 6,229,905 8,917,000 3,295,095 
			 Oldham 6,806,589 8,016,812 7,231,929 7,116,000 3,209,000 
			 Plymouth 5,166,622 5,483,228 8,892,246 9,049,000 7,621,000 
			 Rochdale 5,989,241 6,982,065 4,801,411 6,282,000 7,452,000 
			 Salford 6,998,762 7,118,943 6,532,371 6,990,000 5,507,000 
			 Sandwell 9,042,114 6,690,337 4,879,095 6,776,000 5,317,000 
			 Sheffield 8,644,867 11,533,519 10,226,661 4,964,880 431,700 
			 Southampton 6,949,470 7,431,365 8,697,646 7,362,000 3,051,206 
			 Southwark 2,300,665 3,129,187 8,045,000 13,716,581 14,551,867 
			 Sunderland 4,001,222 7,302,000 8,495,000 9,201,000 6,148,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 5,475,527 4,988,669 5,156,000 2,325,000 12,316,748 
			 Walsall 8,981,130 6,570,144 5,681,584 6,425,000 5,208,000 
			 Wolverhampton 5,480,033 7,050,938 8,212,467 9,200,000 7,800,000 
			  Note: Funds granted to two NDCs in Birmingham-Kings Norton and Aston.

Planning Permission

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Local Government Association and  (b) representatives of local authorities on the short-term erection of refrigeration tents in the pre-Christmas period and the enforcement of planning requirements; what recent representations he has received on this matter; and if he will take steps to prevent the erection of such tents without planning consent.

Ian Austin: I have not had any discussions with the Local Government Association or with representatives of local authorities, nor have I received representations regarding planning requirements for temporary refrigeration tents. In the first instance it is for local planning authorities to determine whether such temporary structures constitute development and whether, therefore, would require planning permission.

Social Rented Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts the  (a) Homes and Communities and  (b) Tenant Services Agency has let to (i) social enterprises and (ii) registered social landlords since each agency was established.

John Healey: The HCA has three-year framework delivery contracts in place with 187 RSL investment partners for the 2008-11 spending review period, transferred from the HCA's predecessor body the Housing Corporation. The HCA also have three contracts with RSLs and one with a social enterprise through the Places of Change programme.
	The Tenants Services Authority has let two contracts to small and medium enterprises.

Social Rented Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many registered social landlords operate local labour  (a) schemes and  (b) clauses in contracts let.

John Healey: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	In order to obtain Social Housing Grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), registered social landlords (RSLs) are required to sign up to the principles of the 2012 Construction Commitments. Full details of these commitments are available at:
	http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/2012_construction_commitments_agreement.pdf
	The HCA's Single Conversation process reflects the importance of supporting local economic development and employment through investment. The Single Conversation guidance emphasises the need for Local Investment Plans to address poverty and socio-economic inequalities through strategies for employment protection and creation and by providing training and apprenticeships. HCA reports that 1,107 apprenticeships have been created through RSL partnerships.
	The Single Conversation guidance is available on the HCA's website:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/public/documents/SC_LIP_Further_information.pdf

Sustainable Communities Act 2007

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress his Department has made in its consideration of the proposal made by Westminster city council under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 on temporary accommodation targets; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Government are consulting the Local Government Association (LGA) in its role as selector under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 and are seeking to reach agreement on which of the 199 short-listed proposals, including that submitted by Westminster city council, should be implemented. Many of the proposals are complex and raise significant practical issues but the Government are anxious to make progress as quickly as possible on those proposals that offer practical benefits and new ways of meeting local needs.
	A series of official-level meetings took place in January between the LGA and Government Departments to consider the proposals, and further work is now under way to follow up the issues raised in those discussions.

Sustainable Communities Act 2007

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) funding and  (b) guidance his Department has provided to local authorities that have made proposals that have been shortlisted for consideration under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: No funding has been provided to local authorities that have made proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.
	On 9 July 2008 statutory guidance on submitting proposals was published as part of the Statutory Guidance on the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007-Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities.
	On 14 October 2008 the Secretary of State issued an invitation to local authorities to submit proposals. At the same time, the Department wrote to all local authorities giving an indication of the likely approach of Government to decisions on short-listed proposals.
	These documents are available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/about/sustainablecommunitiesact

Sustainable Development

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria have been established for the creation of carbon-efficient towns and cities.

John Healey: Towns and cities can play a big role in tackling climate change. Many local authorities in towns and cities have set themselves targets to reduce emissions in response to National Indicator 186. We have set out our expectation of how planning authorities in towns and cities can plan new development to ensure carbon emissions are reduced in our Climate Change Planning Policy Statement (PPS) and we will shortly be consulting on a revision to the PPS. As part of the Eco-towns Programme we have set out sustainability standards for eco towns in our eco towns PPS. These include the requirement that the developments as a whole must be zero-carbon. We are working with nine groups of local authorities and individual local authorities to pilot the concept of local carbon frameworks, a new approach for local authorities to set themselves ambitious targets and plans for reducing carbon emissions.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the oral answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 14 July 2009,  Official Report, column 69WH, on Travellers, what his Department's definition of  (a) fairness and  (b) equality is in relation to planning applications for sites for Gypsy and Traveller caravans.

Shahid Malik: Fairness and equality, in relation for the planning applications for Gypsy and Traveller sites, means that the law is applied equally to Gypsies and Travellers and to those of the settled community; any proposal for development must be considered purely on its planning merits taking account of all relevant planning matters.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Planning Inspectorate has issued on the length of time a (i) traveller and (ii) demonstration encampment may be in place before it is deemed permanent for planning purposes; and how long temporary encampments may be in place before becoming rateable for (A) council tax and (B) business rate purposes.

Shahid Malik: The Planning Inspectorate has issued guidance on the length of time a (i) Traveller or (ii) a demonstration encampment may be in place before it is deemed permanent or authorised. The guidance issued by the Planning Inspectorate is in the form of the Inspectors Handbook, which covers professional planning matters dealt with by Inspectors. Annex E of ODPM Planning Circular 01/2006 'Planning for Gypsy and Traveller sites' states that planning permission may not be required for any development if the use of the land has been established over a period of time without valid planning enforcement action have been taken by the local authority.
	No guidance has been issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government or the Planning Inspectorate on the length of time a temporary encampment may be in place before becoming rateable for council tax or business rates. No minimum period is defined by statute. It is established rating law that a transitory occupation of land does not amount to rateable occupation. Whether the necessary permanence of occupation has been established for liability to arise will depend on the facts in each case.
	A Traveller(1) or demonstration(2) encampment can become permanent, and authorised, for planning purposes through the express grant of planning permission for such a use, unencumbered by a condition limiting its use to a specified period, or by the imposition or removal of an appropriate condition attached to an existing planning permission by the formal process set out in s.73 and 73 A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The only other means by which a use of land can become lawful is where it continues, uninterrupted and in essentially the same form, for a period of 10 years and the evidence exists to prove that this has occurred, on the balance of probabilities, such that a Certificate of Lawful Development under s.191 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 can be granted. In a similar way a use can become immune from enforcement action under S.171B of the 1990 Act after a period of 10 years, if a local planning authority has not taken enforcement action before that time.
	(1) Assumed to mean the occupation of a site by Travellers for residential purposes.
	(2) Assumed to mean an unauthorised use of land for demonstration purposes.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether unmet need for traveller sites is a material consideration in the planning process when considering a retrospective application of the development of an unauthorised traveller site.

Shahid Malik: ODPM Circular 2001-06 Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites confirms that unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller sites is one of several material considerations which decision makers should take into account when determining planning applications. The material considerations relevant to a retrospective application for the development are no different for those submitted prospectively.

WORK AND PENSIONS

A4e: Employment

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of people who have attended A4e meetings have found work within six months of the inception of the A4e contract in  (a) England,  (b) the East of England,  (c) Bedfordshire and  (d) Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.

Asbestos: Schools

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the follow-up work to the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Asbestos Management in Schools survey; how many visits by the HSE to local education authorities have been made following the survey; and when she estimates the HSE follow-up work will be completed.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 24 February 2010
	HSE inspectors are in the process of visiting the local authorities which were identified through the questionnaire survey, that is, those local authorities which did not provide sufficient information to demonstrate the adequacy of their arrangements for properly managing asbestos in system-built schools. In total 45 LAs have been identified for visit and to date 14 of these have been visited with three further visits scheduled. The remaining visits are scheduled for completion during March and April.
	Besides any specific actions required at the time of visits by inspectors in individual cases, an overall assessment of the collective findings will rapidly be made by HSE, and the findings shared with others to ensure that necessary remedial actions are taken.
	It is essential that all schools have arrangements in place to actively and competently manage asbestos whenever it is present. HSE will continue to work with the local authorities, DCSF and schools to ensure that schools both understand their legal responsibilities and act on them.

Children: Maintenance

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the cases under consideration by the Child Support Agency involve absent parents in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Glasgow East constituency.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Cold Weather Payments: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Tamworth constituency have received cold weather payments in 2009-10.

Helen Goodman: The number of pensioner benefit units in Tamworth constituency who have received cold weather payments in 2009-10 is estimated to be around 4,000.
	As well as pensioners, a range of other groups are also eligible for cold weather payments. People eligible are those awarded:
	pension credit, or
	income-related employment and support allowance that includes a work-related activity or support component.
	Those awarded:
	income support, or
	income-based jobseeker's allowance, or
	income-related employment and support allowance in the assessment phase,
	and who have:
	a pensioner premium, or
	a disability premium, or
	a child who is disabled, or
	a child under the age of five,
	are also eligible to receive payments.
	 Notes:
	1. A benefit unit consists of a single person or a couple. The number of individual pensioners who have been helped by cold weather payments is greater than 4,000, because both members of a couple benefit unit have gained from the payment.
	2. The figure has been rounded to the nearest 1,000.
	 Sources: Analysis of 5 per cent. sample data for pension credit, income support (for recipients with a pensioner premium), jobseeker's allowance (for recipients with a pensioner premium) and the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (100 per cent. data), all for May 2009, and DWP records of cold weather payment triggers.

Council Tax Benefits: Kingston

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in (a) the Royal Borough of Kingston and (b) Kingston and Surbiton constituency have been in receipt of council tax benefit in each of the last three years.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the tables. Statistics on council tax benefit recipients are derived from the single housing benefit extract (SHBE), which is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems, and which replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. Geographic breakdowns are available at regional and local authority level, but have not yet been developed for smaller geographical areas such as parliamentary constituencies.
	
		
			  Number of families where at least one person is aged 60 or over receiving council tax benefit in The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames: August 2007 
			   Number 
			 August 2007 3,170 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Council Tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases. So urce:  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of families where at least one person is aged 60 or over receiving council tax benefit in The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames: November 2008-09 
			   Number 
			 November 2008 3,300 
			 November 2009 3,390 
			  Notes 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Council Tax Benefit figures exclude any Single Adult Rebate cases. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and November 2009 is the most recent available.  Source:  Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE)

Departmental Contracts

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs formerly undertaken by staff of her Department have been outsourced to external companies in each of the last five years; and to which companies.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department has entered into the following contracts with external suppliers in the last five years which have resulted in staff contracts being transferred to suppliers:
	63 staff under the Record Storage contract awarded to Capita in March 2004;
	610 staff under the Review of Office Services contract awarded to Haden in September 2006;
	15 staff under the Print and Associated Services contract awarded to iON in February 2007.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible sell information on a commercial basis to (i) companies or individuals in the private sector and (ii) other organisations.

Jim Knight: Government Departments and agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) that have Crown status, make most of their non-personal information available for free re-use under the PSI Click-Use Licence to other public bodies, commercial organisations and individuals.
	The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not charge for the provision of such information. DWP currently publish a range of such information in official publications, such as research reports and statistical publications, via the internet, which are available free of charge. Prior to internet dissemination of such publications, these were only available as paper copies for which a nominal charge was made to cover costs. Paper copies of statistical publications are no longer available to purchase as they are available to download free of charge; some paper copies of research reports are still held in the Department and are made available to the public free of charge if requested.
	In general, most of DWP's NDPBs do not sell such information on a commercial basis. However, there are two instances where a charge may be levied by the non-departmental public bodies for the provision of information:
	In support of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Strategy launched in June 2009, and to demonstrate HSE's commitment to provide real help to small business, from 1 September 2009, HSE made the range of its publications freely available on HSE's website to download, view and print. There is an option to purchase a professionally printed version should the company or individual require. These publications provide guidance to those responsible on either practical application or best practice in complying with the legal requirements under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
	The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) have the facility to charge employers to cover the printing costs of TPAS leaflets where a large number have been requested. This has not been used in, at least, the last five years.
	DWP is also custodian of a large amount of personal information. DWP takes its duty of confidentiality to all its customers extremely seriously and complies with the provisions of the Data Protection At 1998. The Department does not provide its customers' personal information to any third party for commercial gain.

Departmental ICT

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the Labour Market System has been unavailable in the last 24 months; and for how long that system was unavailable on each occasion.

Jim Knight: The Labour Market System was unavailable on five occasions in the last 24 months. These are as follows:
	10 September 2008: 1 hour
	7 January 2009: 44 minutes
	30 April 2009: 2 hours 10 minutes
	16 December 2009: 1 hour 13 minutes
	8 January 2010: 2 hours 56 minutes.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the staff turnover rate in her Department was in 2009;
	(2)  what the staff turnover rate in Jobcentre Plus was in 2009.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department and its agencies calculate turnover on a rolling 12-month basis and the following rates are based on average staffing and the number of turnover leavers.
	The turnover rates as at 30 September 2009 are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Department for Work and Pensions and agencies 4.11 
			 Jobcentre Plus 4.08 
		
	
	The percentage turnover rate is calculated by dividing the number of permanent staff (includes staff on fixed term appointments exceeding 12 months) who leave in the relevant 12-month period, by the average number of permanent staff employed in the same period.
	Turnover is calculated in line with a wastage index method which is a recognised methodology.
	The following broad categories of leavers are included in the calculation:
	Retirements
	Death in service
	Dismissals and discharge
	Resignation
	Transfers to other Government Departments and non civil service public sector.
	The calculation excludes:
	staff transferring as a result of movement of work. e.g. machinery of government changes;
	staff leaving as a result of voluntary early release schemes, and;
	temporary staff leaving.
	In order to provide a view on the trend the turnover rates at 30 September 2008 were:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 DWP 5.79 
			 Jobcentre Plus 5.28

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of staff currently recorded on the Department's personnel computer system as having had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last three years is 2,699. DWP currently employs more than 120,000 full and part-time staff.
	The average number of working days lost per year in the Department through sickness has fallen from 10.3 in December 2007 to 8.4 in January 2010, the latest date for which figures are available.

Future Jobs Fund

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have obtained jobs through the Future Jobs Fund with the social enterprise Real Baby Milk since the inception of the Fund;
	(2)  how many placements for young people have been made in the  (a) public,  (b) private and  (c) voluntary sector through the Future Jobs Fund since its inception;
	(3)  how many apprenticeship places have been delivered through the Future Jobs Fund in each region since its inception.

Jim Knight: Information on Future Jobs Fund starts and apprenticeship places delivered through the Future Jobs Fund is not currently available but will be made available from spring 2010 through an official statistical release that is planned to cover the whole of the Young Person's Guarantee.
	This is normal practice for the Department's employment programmes and it allows time for the information to be collected, understood, verified and reported.

Future Jobs Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2010 to the hon. Member for South Dorset,  Official Report, column 258W, on the Future Jobs Fund, how many of the jobs announced to date, excluding those created under national bids will be created in each local authority area.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit recipients there were in each region in each of the last 12 quarters.

Helen Goodman: Housing benefit has played a key role in helping people deal with the impact of the recession and will play an equally important part in helping people return to work as the economy improves.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients, by region: February 2006 to November 2006 
			  Government Office Region  February 2006  May 2006  August 2006  November 2006 
			 North East 226,800 227,500 228,300 227,000 
			 North West 520,200 512,900 516,100 518,400 
			 Yorks and the Humber 349,000 343,500 345,800 350,500 
			 East Midlands 239,900 243,300 244,900 246,000 
			 West Midlands 360,000 363,200 366,800 364,300 
			 East 292,400 293,500 297,100 297,800 
			 London 691,200 685,600 689,700 694,300 
			 South East 404,100 407,000 412,700 413,800 
			 South West 280,300 281,500 288,800 284,800 
			 Wales 200,400 200,900 201,900 200,600 
			 Scotland 434,100 318,500 432,200 431,200 
		
	
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients, by region: February 2007 to August 2007 
			  Government Office Region  February 2007  May 2007  August 2007 
			 North East 228,600 226,800 227,400 
			 North West 520,300 518,400 518,600 
			 Yorks and the Humber 350,900 351,000 349,500 
			 East Midlands 246,700 242,700 244,900 
			 West Midlands 369,400 368,100 369,600 
			 East 300,800 300,100 302,100 
			 London 692,600 693,500 698,300 
			 South East 414,400 414,600 416,400 
			 South West 285,600 286,400 286,200 
			 Wales 201,300 200,400 200,700 
			 Scotland 429,300 429,800 427,300 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 5. Data is published at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hb_ctb_aug07.xls  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. taken in February 2006-August 2007 
		
	
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients, by region: November 2008 to October 2009 
			  Government Office Region  November 2008  January 2009  April 2009  July 2009  October 2009 
			 North East 232,450 236,740 240,820 244,260 248,400 
			 North West 532,480 537,470 551,560 566,100 576,190 
			 Yorks and the Humber 361,170 371,400 378,740 386,040 394,440 
			 East Midlands 260,730 265,490 278,640 284,780 292,130 
			 West Midlands 385,700 393,910 407,860 417,630 425,400 
			 East 318,210 323,760 336,860 345,100 352,760 
			 London 712,010 719,900 735,350 753,870 769,430 
			 South East 439,430 450,690 467,800 478,000 489,710 
			 South West 299,860 310,600 323,480 330,320 337,360 
			 Wales 210,820 213,930 220,710 225,030 228,380 
			 Scotland 419,100 428,370 440,250 446,120 454,530 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 4. The Department modernised the way it collected HB and CTB from local authorities to make the process more efficient. The new data source, the Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. 5. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and October 2009 is the most recent available. 6. Data from SHBE incorporates the local authority changes from 1 April 2009. 7. Data is published at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/HBCTB_release_JAN10.xls  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE)

Housing Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) people and  (b) households received local housing allowance in each of the last eight quarters.

Helen Goodman: The local housing allowance arrangements were rolled out from 7 April 2008 and apply to customers in the deregulated private rented sector who make a new claim for housing benefit or to existing customers who change address. Of the 1.34 million housing benefit customers who live in private rented sector accommodation 0.90 million (70 per cent.) have had their benefit assessed according to the local housing allowance rules.
	Information is not available in relation to households.
	The most recent available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients-local housing allowance tenants: Great Britain, November 2008 to October 2009 
			  Month  LHA tenants 
			  2008  
			 November 408,380 
			 December 459,190 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 499,450 
			 February 554,180 
			 March 604,510 
			 April 651,800 
			 May 688,170 
			 June 727,780 
			 July 758,280 
			 August 782,950 
			 September 815,970 
			 October 850,310 
			  Notes: 1. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 2. Local housing allowance tenants may include a small number of non-LHA cases making a new claim since 7 April 2008. This will include recipients in caravan accommodation. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 5. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and October 2009 are the most recent available. 6. Data are published on table 4 at http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/HBCTB_release_JAN10.xls 7. Details on the number of LHA tenants are not available prior to the introduction of SHBE.  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE).

Housing Benefit: Scotland

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department takes steps to check whether the landlords of housing benefit recipients in Scotland are properly registered with local authorities.

Helen Goodman: No. It is for local authorities in Scotland to ensure landlords are properly registered under guidance from the Scottish Executive.
	All private landlords in Scotland must be registered (or have applied for registration) with the local authorities where they let private property. Once an application has been submitted it is assessed by the relevant local authority who determines whether the landlord is fit and proper. There are a number of sanctions available to local authorities if a landlord fails to register, or continues to let property after being refused registration. The sanctions include reporting the case to the Procurator Fiscal for prosecution. However, the most popular and successful sanction so far has been the rent penalty notice (RPN). If a local authority serves such a notice, it suspends the tenant's liability to pay rent for the period of the notice. If an RPN is used, the tenant is notified to stop paying rent and, if housing benefit is in payment, the local housing benefit office is informed that an RPN is in place and that housing benefit should not be paid for the period of the notice.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department and its predecessors have paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

Jobcentre Plus

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what outreach work is undertaken by Jobcentre Plus; and what plans she has for the future of such work.

Jonathan R Shaw: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what outreach work is undertaken by Jobcentre Plus, and what plans she has for the future of such work. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus has locations across the country providing outreach services which meet the needs of customers and communities, reaching the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in society. These outreach services complement our core services delivered through other channels.
	There are various outreach schemes that Jobcentre Plus operates. Among them are: District Community Outreach, which provides ease of access to advice and support within the local community; Prison Outreach which provides specific support to prisoners as part of their preparation for release by offering both benefit and job broking advice; and School Gates which is a support initiative to increase the amount of employment and enterprise support provided to parents in and around their child's school.
	In addition there is a small team of advisers working directly in community locations in three Jobcentre Plus Districts-Merseyside, South London, and South Tyne and Wear Valley. Their objective is to work with partners locally, in particular with social housing providers, to engage with residents, challenge attitudes to worklessness and offer a holistic service to address the barriers that prevent individuals or households from finding work.
	Recognising this early success we announced in the White Paper an extension to this approach. Therefore, we will be funding 11 new teams in addition to the original three, from April 2010.
	For the future, I see outreach being a continued way of delivering our services. We will continue to work with partners at a local level to establish new and innovative ways of sharing premises, facilitate the provision of more cohesive local services, promote our services to a wider customer base and potentially reduce overall Government estate costs.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus: Disclosure of Information

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints have been made to Jobcentre Plus managers by whistleblowers in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Jobcentre Plus: Termination of Employment

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of Jobcentre Plus staff have had their contracts terminated for each reason of termination in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many and what proportion of Jobcentre Plus staff have had their contracts terminated for each reason of termination in each of the last five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The tables in the attached annex contain the numbers and proportions of staff who have had their contracts terminated, as well as termination reason. The information covering proportions sets out staff as a percentage of the average number of people in the organisation in each of the years in question.
	Information has been provided from April 2006 which is the earliest available data.
	I hope this is helpful.
	
		
			  Annex 
			  Reason  Number of leavers  Percentage of headcount 
			  April 2006-March 2007   
			 Early Retirement 343 0.5 
			 Voluntary Early Release 1,678 2.2 
			 Deceased 101 0.1 
			 Dismissed 687 0.9 
			 End of temporary, Fixed Term, or provisional appointment 2,410 3.2 
			 Ill Health retirement 121 0.2 
			 Other 1 0.0 
			 Resignation 3,557 4.7 
			 Retirement 848 1.1 
			 Transfer 861 1.1 
			 Total 10,607 14.0 
			
			  April 2007-March 2008   
			 Early Retirement 174 0.2 
			 Voluntary Early Release 1,348 1.8 
			 Deceased 111 0.1 
			 Dismissed 253 0.3 
			 End of temporary, Fixed Term, or provisional appointment 1,063 1.4 
			 Ill Health retirement 28 0.0 
			 Other 684 0.9 
			 Resignation 3,076 4.1 
			 Retirement 699 0.9 
			 Transfer 411 0.6 
			 Total 7,847 10.6 
			
			  April 2008-March 2009   
			 Early Retirement 148 0.2 
			 Voluntary Early Release 257 0.3 
			 Deceased 77 0.1 
			 Dismissed 752 1.0 
			 End of temporary, Fixed Term, or provisional appointment 824 1.1 
			 Ill Health retirement 91 0.1 
			 Other 81 0.1 
			 Resignation 2,288 3.0 
			 Retirement 699 0.9 
			 Transfer 185 0.2 
			 Total 5,402 7.0 
			
			  April 2009-September 2009   
			 Early Retirement 157 0.1 
			 Voluntary Early Release 91 0.1 
			 Deceased 85 0.1 
			 Dismissed 806 0.9 
			 End of temporary, Fixed Term, or provisional appointment 730 0.8 
			 Ill Health retirement 118 0.1 
			 Other 80 0.1 
			 Resignation 2,187 2.4 
			 Retirement 673 0.7 
			 Transfer 210 0.2 
			 Total 5,137 5.5 
			  Source: Dataview IT System

Jobcentre Plus: Training

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what equality training is  (a) compulsory and  (b) made voluntarily available for Jobcentre Plus employees; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what equality training is (a) compulsory and (b) made voluntarily available for Jobcentre Plus employees. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	All new starters to Jobcentre Plus are required to work through the compulsory Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Induction Programme. The programme sets out the actions that should be taken to successfully induct and settle new staff into DWP, including sections on Diversity and Equality. To facilitate this programme, support is provided to line managers and staff via a checklist, which has been produced to provide clear guidance on the process, what needs to be done and by when.
	Jobcentre Plus has in place a comprehensive foundation learning programme in which Diversity and Equality feature within two key products. The first is the 12 hour Diversity and Equality Awareness for Excellent Customer Service workbook. The workbook is designed to highlight Jobcentre Plus' commitment to supporting Diversity and Equality in all that we do within our business. It provides an introduction to the diversity of Jobcentre Plus customers, and as the learner works through they are sign posted to the DWP Diversity and Equality site where they are expected to gather information in order to successfully answer questions and exercises covered within the workbook.
	On completing the workbook learners undertake the Core Key Skills for Excellent Customer Service training event. The event provides learners with the understanding, skills and knowledge required to provide excellent and accessible customer services to all Jobcentre Plus customers. The event reinforces and builds on the knowledge gained from undertaking the workbook and provides coverage on: Equal Opportunity, Values  Beliefs, Customer Groups, Cultural Awareness and Diversity and Equality.
	Dependant on their job role and the staff's interaction with the customer within Jobcentre Plus, an additional training event is delivered.
	Further training events available to Jobcentre Plus staff include:
	Age;
	Disability;
	Equal Opportunities;
	Gender;
	Race;
	Religion or Belief;
	Sexual orientation; and
	Work Life Balance.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus: Training

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what cultural awareness training is  (a) compulsory and  (b) made voluntarily available for Jobcentre Plus employees; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what cultural awareness training is (a) compulsory and (b) made voluntarily available for Jobcentre Plus employees. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Cultural awareness is included as part of our compulsory Diversity and Equality learning for all our people. For example a three day facilitated event covering Excellent Customer Service includes coverage on Cultural Awareness.
	In addition to mandatory learning on Diversity and Equality we offer the following cultural awareness training for our people:
	Race Relations Overview Workshop;
	Race and Understanding Workshop;
	Understanding Stereotyping Workshop;
	About Me Workshop;
	Culture Confidence Workshop; and
	A Class Divided Workshop
	Line Managers will recommend this training for people who would benefit from this additional learning to support them in their job role.
	I hope this is helpful.

Maximus Employment and Training

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what remit her Department has assigned to Maximus Employment and Training UK in Eastleigh; and what payments have been made from the Exchequer to this organisation.

Jim Knight: Maximus Employment and Training UK delivers Progress 2 Work provision in Eastleigh on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. In addition to Progress 2 Work, Maximus also delivers the following provision:
	Flexible new deal (Kent, Surrey and Sussex)
	Workprep (South West)
	Workstep (Dorset and Somerset)
	Link Up (West of England), and
	In work support (Dorset and Somerset)
	The following table shows the payments made to Maximus covering all the programmes they deliver across the UK.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Year 1 2005-06 9,468,024 
			 Year 2 2006-07 10,418,332 
			 Year 3 2007-08 9,783,920 
			 Year 4 2008-09 4,118,532 
			 Year 5 2009-10 6,776,192 
			 Total 40,565,000 
		
	
	Through flexible new deal Maximus provides tailored and personalised support for customers who have been unemployed for 12 months with the aim of helping them into work. Through the other welfare to work programmes Maximus supports disabled people and customer groups that are furthest from the job market, such as those with social or drug issues.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average monthly payment to recipients under the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme was in each of the last  (a) three years and  (b) six months.

Helen Goodman: Financial support is provided through benefit assistance towards payments of mortgage interest to homeowners who run into unforeseen difficulties. Help is provided towards the interest on mortgages-known as Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) as part of income support (IS), income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA(IB)), and income-related employment and support allowance (ESA(IR)) and state pension credit (PC)
	The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Average weekly amount of support with mortgage interest payments made to income support (IS); jobseekers allowance (income-based) (JSA(IB)); or pension credit (PC) claimants in Great Britain. 
			  £ 
			   IS  JSA(IB)  PC 
			 May 2007 46.88 47.47 27.98 
			 August 2007 50.89 51.50 30.56 
			 February 2008 51.11 52.71 30.33 
			 May 2008 48.75 50.08 29.93 
			 August 2008 49.30 51.11 29.08 
			 November 2008 46.60 53.67 27.67 
			 February 2009 63.39 61.31 37.31 
			 May 2009 51.06 75.49 29.39 
			  Notes: 1. Average weekly amounts are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 2. Data are collected quarterly therefore monthly figures are not available. The quarter November 2007 is not available. 3. Residual minimum income guarantee (MIG) cases are included in the IS figures. These are mainly cases where the claimant is aged under 60 and the partner over 60. 4. JSA(IB) figures include claimants in receipt of income-based JSA who would also be entitled to the contributory JSA element. 5. Average amounts can include other housing costs, for example ground rent. 6. The DWP reformed Income Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) by shortening the waiting period before SMI is paid from 39 weeks to 13 weeks for new working age claims. This came into effect from 5 January 2009.  Source: DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of monies paid under the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme was paid directly to  (a) mortgage lenders and  (b) households in each of the last three years.

Helen Goodman: Financial support is provided through benefit assistance towards payments of mortgage interest to homeowners who run into unforeseen difficulties. Help is provided towards the interest on mortgages-known as Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) as part of Income Support (IS), income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA (IB)), and income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA (IR) and State Pension Credit (SPC).
	The Mortgage Interest Direct (MID) Scheme was introduced in May 1992 in consultation with the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The scheme ensures Support for Mortgage Interest is paid direct to the lender. Membership of the scheme is voluntary, but the majority of the major lending institutions are members of the scheme.
	Mortgage lenders who are not members of the MID Scheme do not have payments made direct to them. Instead customers receive housing cost payments in their benefit, and are responsible for maintaining their lending arrangement and forwarding these payments to the lender.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Income support (IS), jobseeker's allowance (income-based JSA) and pension credit (PC) claimants who receive support with mortgage interest (SMI) payments-Great Britain May 2009 
			  Benefit  Total claimants receiving assistance with SMI  MI paid direct to 3( rd)  party( 1)  MI included in housing costs paid to claimant( 2) 
			 IS 79,600 78,000 1,600 
			 JSA (IB) 19,400 18,100 1,400 
			 PC 116,400 89,800 26,600 
			 (1) The majority of the major lending institutions are members of the mortgage interest direct scheme (MID), and there is a statutory obligation that mortgage interest payments are transferred direct to lenders. (2) Mortgage lenders who are not members of the MID Scheme do not have payments made direct to them. Instead customers receive housing cost payments in their weekly benefit. They are responsible for maintaining their lending arrangement and forwarding these payments to the lender.  Notes: 1. Figures have been uprated using 5 per cent. proportions against 100 per cent. WPLS totals and rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Residual MIG cases are included in the IS figures. These are mainly cases where the claimant is aged under 60 and the partner over 60. 3. Support for Mortgage Interest is a component of income-based jobseeker's allowance so cannot be added to contribution-based jobseeker's allowance. 4. The DWP reformed Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), by shortening the waiting period before SMI is paid from 39 weeks to 13 weeks for new working age claims. This came into effect from 5 January 2009. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  Sources: 1. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 2. Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many applications for assistance from the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme were received in each of the last 12 quarters;
	(2)  what proportion of applications for funding from the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme was granted in each month since January 2008.

Helen Goodman: The information is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pension Credit

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the proportion of pensioners who were eligible for guarantee credit in  (a) Chesterfield constituency,  (b) Derbyshire and  (c) England in each year since 2003.

Angela Eagle: Estimates of eligibility are not available below the level of Great Britain.
	The latest estimates of the take-up rates and the number of those entitled but not receiving pension credit are published in the report 'Income Related Benefits estimates of Take-Up in 2007-08', which is available in the House of Commons Library or on the DWP website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/irb.asp

Pensions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 7 July 2009,  Official Report, column 747W, on pensions, if she will place in the Library a copy of each of the three written representations.

Angela Eagle: The summary of consultation responses can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pae-regulations-2009-govt-response-sept09.pdf
	It is not our normal practice to publish consultation responses individually. You may wish to contact the Local Government Employers and Communities and Local Government to request a copy directly.

Poverty

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families were classed as living in poverty in each financial year since 1996-97.

Helen Goodman: The requested information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Total number of families, and number and proportion of families living in households with less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, 1996-97 to 2007-08, Great Britain 
			Proportion living in low income households  Number living in low income households 
			   Number of families (million)  Before housing costs (percentage)  After housing costs (percentage)  Before housing costs (million)  After housing costs (million) 
			 1996-97 28.9 19 25 5.4 7.3 
			 1997-98 29.1 19 24 5.5 7.0 
			 1998-99 29.3 19 24 5.4 7.0 
			 1999-2000 29.4 19 24 5.5 7.0 
			 2000-01 29.5 18 23 5.5 6.8 
			 2001-02 29.7 18 22 5.4 6.6 
			 2002-03 29.8 18 22 5.5 6.7 
			 2003-04 30.1 18 21 5.4 6.4 
			 2004-05 30.3 17 20 5.2 6.1 
			 2005-06 30.7 18 21 5.5 6.5 
			 2006-07 30.9 18 22 5.6 6.7 
			 2007-08 31.1 19 22 5.8 6.8 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. Both of these documents are available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. 4. Figures correspond to Great Britain only, because prior to 2002 these are the only figures available and so this shows the full run on a consistent basis.  5. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  6. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) equivalisation factors.  7. A family is defined as a single adult or couple living as married (including same sex partners from January 2006) and any dependent children.  8. Number of families in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand families and proportion of families have been rounded to the nearest per cent.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP

Social Security Benefits: Armed Forces

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects to publish guidance on entitlement to national insurance credits for spouses of members of HM armed forces on the direct.gov website.

Angela Eagle: Legislation which provides for a new National Insurance credit for the accompanying spouse or civil partner of a member of Her Majesty's forces, who is on an assignment outside the United Kingdom, is currently going through the legislative process and will come into force from 6 April 2010.
	The associated guidance, which includes information as to who will benefit from this change is currently being produced and will shortly be made available via the appropriate routes including Directgov.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) incapacity benefit and  (b) employment and support allowance claimants there were in (i) Ashford constituency and (ii) Kent on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number and proportion of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance and employment and support allowance claimants in the Ashford constituency and Kent in May 2009 
			   Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance  Employment and support allowance 
			   Number of claimants  Proportion of working age population as a percentage  Number of claimants  Proportion of working age population as a percentage 
			 Ashford constituency 2,940 4.4 430 0.6 
			 County of Kent 43,660 5.2 5,580 0.7 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload has been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Percentages are shown to one decimal place. 3. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. 4. The proportion of claimants shown for the Ashford constituency is a percentage of the whole of the Ashford constituency's working age population. 5. The proportion of claimants shown for the County of Kent is a percentage of the whole of the county of Kent's working age population. 6. The county of Kent includes the following local authorities: Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Gravesham, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling, Malling, Tunbridge Wells.  Source: DWP Information Directorate.

Social Security Benefits: Ex-servicemen

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2010,  Official Report, column 447W, on social security benefits: ex-servicemen, if she will take steps to ensure that local authorities implement a full disregard of all war pensions in considering eligibility for housing and council tax benefits.

Helen Goodman: The Government recognise the special nature of war pensions and will continue to do so. War pensioners are given preferential treatment through the generous system of mandatory disregards in the income-related benefits, including housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	Under long-standing arrangements, local authorities have additional powers to disregard all or part of the remaining war pension when assessing housing benefit and council tax benefit entitlement as part of their local discretion.
	Local authorities operating a local discretionary disregard in addition to the mandatory disregard of war pensions meet the majority of the costs but, since 2004, receive a contribution in their benefit subsidy in recognition of this.
	The Government have no plans to amend legislation to make the full disregard of war pensions mandatory as we believe this is properly a responsibility that is devolved to local authorities to use their discretion in this matter.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people called the Benefit Fraud hotline in each of the last 12 months; how many such calls were followed up with an investigation; and how many prosecutions for benefit fraud leading to a conviction there have been in the same period.

Helen Goodman: Every call to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline is examined by the Department. Where there is enough evidence to indicate potential benefit fraud the case is passed to either the Fraud Investigation Service for further investigation or to our Customer Compliance teams in Jobcentre Plus who will scrutinise the relevant benefit claim and make adjustments to entitlements as necessary.
	The number of prosecutions for benefit fraud leading to a conviction from National Benefit Fraud Hotline referrals is not available.
	Available information is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of calls followed up with an investigation 
			  Number 
			   Calls to National Benefit Fraud Hotline  Referred for further initial inquiries  In depth criminal investigation  Customer compliance interview 
			  2008 
			 November 19,107 6,588 3,444 6,144 
			 December 12,826 7,277 2,499 5,288 
			  
			  2009 
			 January 26,879 10,495 3,245 7,042 
			 February 19,741 8,709 3,113 6,004 
			 March 21,113 9,737 3,510 6,773 
			 April 22,380 8,176 3,252 6,095 
			 May 19,497 8,182 3,616 6,160 
			 June 22,828 9,893 3,443 6,847 
			 July 25,725 9,321 3,594 6,741 
			 August 21,389 7,777 2,834 5,333 
			 September 21,305 12,515 5,438 8,272 
			 October 24,462 9,197 3,462 5,046 
			  Notes: 1. Monthly call data begin on the first Friday after the first Thursday of the month. 2. Number of calls to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline is the number of calls that are presented to the Contact Centre and enter the queue (or are answered immediately) during business hours. Business hours are 7am to 11pm. 3. Number of investigations is generated from the number of referrals/incidents accepted for investigation (i.e. those which result in a case being opened). 4. Figures represent Great Britain only (do not include Northern Ireland).  Sources: 1. National Benefit Fraud Hotline data provided by Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre Directorate. 2. Investigation data taken from DWP Fraud Referral and Investigation Management System.

Unemployment Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many customers who have made successful claims for  (a) jobseekers' allowance and  (b) income support had previously made an unsuccessful claim for employment and support allowance in each quarter since the introduction of that allowance.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 February 2010
	The information is not available as records of unsuccessful claims are not included in the National Statistics datasets which underpin routine publication of benefit statistics.

Unemployment Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has her Department made of the additional on flows to  (a) jobseekers' allowance and  (b) income support attributable to the introduction of employment and support allowance in each quarter since October 2008.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 February 2010
	The requested information is not available.

Unemployment Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate her Department has made of the projected caseloads for  (a) jobseekers' allowance and  (b) income support not reckoning the introduction of employment and support allowance in each quarter since October 2008.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 February 2010
	The requested information is not available. No estimate has been made of caseloads for jobseeker's allowance or income support based on the employment and support allowance not having been introduced.

Unemployment Benefits: Medical Examinations

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts her Department has with external companies to conduct work capability assessments; and when each such contract is due to expire.

Jonathan R Shaw: The DWP has one contract for the provision of medical services which is delivered on a national basis. The current medical services contract to conduct work capability assessments was awarded to Atos Healthcare, a subsidiary company of Atos Origin.
	The contract commenced on 1 September 2005 and is due to expire on 31 August 2012. The Department has options to extend the contract for a further five years up to 31 August 2017.

Unemployment Benefits: Medical Examinations

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against the outcomes of assessments for employment support allowance in  (a) the UK and  (b) Scotland there have been since 27 October 2008; in how many such cases the appeal has been upheld; and how many of the upheld appeals related to the outcomes of assessments undertaken in respect of a serious illness.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department publishes detailed information relating to the work capability assessment for employment and support allowance claims in Great Britain. Information is not available at a lower level. The report can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_arc.asp
	A copy is available in the Library. This report contains details of the number of initial assessments carried out since the introduction of employment and support allowance, a breakdown of the result of the assessment, including the fit for work decision and separate information relating to work capability assessment appeals.
	Information about the number of work capability assessment appeals is in the table.
	
		
			  Work capability assessment appeals heard on 'Fit for Work' decisions: employment and support allowance claims to December 2008/appeals heard by end of December 2009 
			   Number 
			 Appeals heard 8,800 
			  Notes: 1. Includes clerical assessments. 2. Volumes will increase in the coming months as more appeals are processed giving a more robust picture of appeal volumes and outcomes. It will then be possible to link this information to the work capability assessment data and provide information on proportions appealing. 3. Figure rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	Data by medical conditions is not yet available for employment and support allowance. Information on appeal outcomes falls to my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice.

Woolworths: Redundancy

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information her Department holds on the number of former Woolworth workers who  (a) have received help through Jobcentre Plus,  (b) are in employment and  (c) are out of work.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the use of accident and emergency departments at  (a) University College Hospital,  (b) the Royal Free Hospital,  (c) Whittington Hospital,  (d) Barnet General Hospital,  (e) North Middlesex Hospital and  (f) Chase Farm Hospital in each year since 2000.

Mike O'Brien: Information is collected on first attendances in accident and emergency (A and E) departments. This excludes follow-up visits for the same condition, but counts each attendance by the same patient for different conditions separately. The following table shows reported first attendances for north central London by national health service trust.
	
		
			  First attendances at accident and emergency (AE) departments, minor injury units and walk-in centres, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, North Middlesex University Hospital, Royal Free Hampstead, The Whittington Hospital, University College London Hospitals 
			  First attendances 
			  OrgID  Name  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 113,020 112,805 113,918 125,269 137,251 146,758 148,436 145,965 150,072 
			 RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 3,245 3,125 4,968 27,812 42,414 53,283 151,702 108,822 107,902 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 6,881 6,088 9,474 6,172 3,522 75,130 73,717 4,002 7,308 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 67,833 5,275 65,904 9,482 77,283 9,921 1,715 9,231 6,991 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation 63,386 61,202 65,196 70,956 76,910 82,109 91,429 94,962 93,558 
			  Notes: 1. This data is subject to our formal revision policy. 2. AE attendances were collected annually from 1987-88 to 2002-03 on the KH09 as AE/MIU. 3. WiC attendances were added in Ql 2003-04. 4. AE attendances were first collected in Ql 2002-03 on the QMAE. 5. IS provided services were added in Ql 2007-08. These data were collected retrospectively at the end of 2007-08. They were added to the QMAE from Ql 2008-09. 6. North Middlesex reported a WiC between 2004-05 and 2006-07. 7. The Whittington reported a WiC from 2004-05 to 2008-09.   Source: Department of Health dataset KH09, QMAE.

Cancer: Health Services

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the change has been in the average level of NHS expenditure on an individual cancer patient in the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not held in the requested format. We are not able to provide information on what change there has been in the average level of national health service expenditure on an individual cancer patient in the last five years. We are able to provide information on gross expenditure per capita on cancers and tumours in England.
	
		
			  Gross expenditure per capita on cancers and tumours in England 
			   Total spend  (£000)  England populations  Spend per head (£) 
			 2003-04 3,385,750 49,175,998 68.85 
			 2004-05 3,773,203 49,175,998 76.73 
			 2005-06 4,302,656 49,175,998 87.50 
			 2006-07 4,352,462 50,476,231 86.23 
			 2007-08 4,964,282 50,695,989 97.92 
			 2008-09 5,134,948 51,220,531 100.25 
			  Notes: 1. Expenditure figures are from estimated England level programme budgeting data, which are calculated using primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority programme budgeting returns and Department of Health Resource Accounts data. Figures will include an estimation of special health authority expenditure. 2. In order to improve data quality, continual refinements have been made to the programme budgeting data calculation methodology since the first collection in 2003-04. The underlying data which support programme budgeting data are also subject to yearly changes. Caution is therefore advised when using programme budgeting data to draw conclusions on changes in PCT spending patterns between years. 3. Figures do not include expenditure on cancer screening, health promotion programmes or general practitioner expenditure. Populations are those used for PCT resource allocations.

Cancer: Nurses

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Prime Minister's plans to provide specialist cancer nurses for all people in England who  (a) have and  (b) have had cancer; how many new nurses such additional funding would provide; and from which budget it will be taken;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of specialist cancer nurses required to provide support at home for all in England who  (a) have and  (b) have had cancer; how many such nurses would be newly-trained nurses; and how many hours of support per week on average he estimates each such person would need.

Ann Keen: We are investing £20 million in 2011-12 to work with Macmillan to introduce more specialist cancer nurse posts. The £20 million has been found from funding released from programmes launched by the Next Stage review, which will either have been implemented fully by 2011-12, or which funded development activities which are now reaching a planned conclusion.
	Current estimates are that up to half of cancer patients do not have one to one support, which could mean that we would need to double the number of people who provide such support. We are currently carrying out a detailed assessment of work force needs. This includes considering different possible models and levels of support, which may vary according to where someone is on the patient pathway.
	It is likely that most of the additional work force will need to receive training, and we will be looking at what needs to be done to ensure that the work force is appropriately trained.

Departmental Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his plans are in respect of  (a) resource and  (b) capital expenditure for (i) his Department and (ii) the NHS budget in 2010-11.

Mike O'Brien: Expenditure plans for 2010-11 are set out in the Departmental Report 2009:
	 (a) Resource in Figure A5: Page 219
	 (b) Capital expenditure in Figure A7: Page 221.
	These tables include a split of expenditure that shows departmental expenditure, and overall expenditure in the national health service.

Departmental Statistics

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's latest statistics on the percentage of courses of dental treatment for the same patient re-attending within  (a) three months and  (b) three to nine months in each primary care trust.

Ann Keen: The information requested is contained in a table, which has been placed in the Library.

Derriford Hospital

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training procedures have been put in place for nursing staff at Derriford Hospital following the transfer of the upper gastro-intestinal cancer unit from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally, and this is a matter for the local national health service.

Down's Syndrome: Dementia

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to support people with Down's syndrome who have dementia.

Phil Hope: Improving services for dementia including people with learning difficulties who also have dementia is a Government priority. The Government launched the first ever National Dementia Strategy and implementation plan in February 2009, backed by £150 million in funding to primary care trusts in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Mention is made throughout the strategy on the particular needs of people with learning difficulties.

Hackney

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. 93 per cent. of people nationally now rate the NHS as good or excellent. The NHS Constitution contains 25 rights and 14 pledges for patients and the public including new rights to be treated within 18 weeks, or be seen by a cancer specialist within two weeks, and an NHS health check every five years for those aged 40-74 years.
	There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency.
	For example, figures for December 2009 show that in City and Hackney primary care trust (PCT):
	94 per cent. of patients whose treatment involved admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
	98 per cent. of patients whose treatment did not involve admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
	Between September 2001 and September 2008 the number of general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 people within City and Hackney PCT has increased from 69.9 to 81.8.
	In September 2009, at Barts and the London NHS Trust, 98.3 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
	In September 2009, at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 98.5 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
	Between September 1997 and September 2008 the number of consultants at Barts and the London NHS Trust increased from 177 to 417. Between September 1997 and September 2008 the estimated number of nurses increased from 1,991 to 2,641.
	Between September 1997 and September 2008 the number of consultants at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust increased from 29 to 86. Between September 1997 and September 2008 the estimated number of nurses increased from 615 to 1,029.
	93.4 per cent. of urgent GP referrals to Barts and the London NHS Trust with suspected cancer are seen by a specialist within two weeks of the referral.
	96.2 per cent. of urgent GP referrals to Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with suspected cancer are seen by a specialist within two weeks of the referral.
	Although statistical information is not available at a local level, Hackney North and Stoke Newington will have also benefitted from national policies in other areas. For example:
	Since 1997, gross current expenditure on personal social services has increased by around 70 per cent. in real terms with around 105,000 households now receiving intensive home care and 3,076 new extra care housing units-exceeding the original target of 1,500 new extra care units.
	Other strategies currently being implemented are:
	Subject to parliamentary approval, the Personal Care at Home Bill will guarantee free personal care for 280,000 people with the highest needs and help around 130,000 people who need home care for the first time to regain their independence;
	Shaping the Future of Care Together Green Paper, published in July 2009, sets out a vision for a National Care Service for all adults in England which is fair, simple and affordable. The Department has consulted widely on this reform and is currently analysing the responses, which will feed into a White Paper later this year;
	The National Carer's Strategy (Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities) launched in 2008;
	The first National Dementia Strategy was published in February 2009;
	Valuing People Now-a three year strategy for people with learning disabilities published in January 2009; and
	New Horizons: A Shared Vision for Mental Health-launched in December 2009-to maintain improvements in mental health services combined with a new cross-Government approach to promoting public mental health.
	Since 1998, there are now 2.4 million fewer smokers in England as a result of the Government's comprehensive tobacco control strategy which has had a measurable impact on reducing smoking prevalence.
	Child obesity levels are reducing due to the efforts of families across England, supported by the Government's obesity strategy. In 2008, 13.9 per cent. of children (aged 2 to 10) in England were classified as obese, compared with 17.3 per cent. in 2005.
	Overall, life expectancy at birth for men has increased from 74.5 years (1995-1997 data) to 77.7 years (2006-08 data) while for women, life expectancy at birth has increased from 79.6 years (1995-97 data) to 81.9 years (2006-08 data).

Health Services: Gloucestershire

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely number of hospital beds provided by  (a) NHS foundation and  (b) primary care trusts in Gloucestershire in the financial year (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	It is for the local national health service organisations to plan, develop and improve services for local people.

Health Services: Gloucestershire

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely number of  (a) specialists,  (b) doctors,  (c) nursing staff and  (d) auxiliary staff in each (i) NHS foundation and (ii) primary care trust in Gloucestershire in the financial year (A) 2010-11 and (B) 2011-12.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local community and plan the workforce and training requirements of the staff that they need.

Health Services: Gloucestershire

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department plans to provide for  (a) NHS foundation and  (b) primary care trusts in Gloucestershire in the financial year (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not collected in the format requested.
	On 8 December 2008, primary care trusts (PCTs) were informed of their allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11. The allocations to PCTs in Gloucestershire are shown in the following table .
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 825.9 868.5 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 323.1 339.7 
		
	
	PCT allocations for 2011-12 onwards are yet to be determined. However, as announced in the pre-Budget report in December 2009, front-line NHS spending will be protected for the following two years to 2012-13.
	The Department does not make allocations directly to foundation trusts. It is for PCTs to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the needs of their local populations.

Health Services: Gloucestershire

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the effect on the delivery of healthcare services of changes to funding provided by his Department to  (a) NHS foundation trusts and  (b) primary care trusts in Gloucestershire between financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 was not discussed at the meeting held on 22 January 2010 at the Gloucestershire primary care trust headquarters.

Mike O'Brien: The Department had no involvement in the meeting held on 22 January 2010 at the Gloucestershire primary care trust headquarters.
	This was a meeting of the Gloucestershire members of Parliament and the chairs and chief executives (or their representatives) of the Gloucestershire national health service organisations: Gloucestershire primary care trust, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Health Services: Gloucestershire

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department was informed of proposals to cut £27 million from the budget of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for 2010-11 by  (a) Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust and  (b) Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Mike O'Brien: The Department was not informed by Gloucestershire primary care trust or Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust of the proposals to cut £27 million from the budget of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for 2010-11.
	The Department does not make allocations directly to foundation trusts. It is for primary care trusts to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the needs of their local populations.

Health Services: Worcestershire

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to allow further time for NHS Worcestershire to consult on changes to the purchaser/provider split to enable local views to be taken fully into account before developing a preferred option for the delivery of community services; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: There are no plans to extend the deadline set in the 'NHS Operating Framework 2010/11' for primary care trusts (PCTs) to agree their proposals for the future organisational form of all current PCT-provided community services with their strategic health authority.
	When determining the timetable for planning and implementing proposals for the future form of PCT-provided community services, the Department took account of the need to create greater stability within community services to provide certainty for community service staff and a firm foundation for service transformation. Consideration was given to the pivotal role community services play in helping the national health service to meet the productivity and quality challenge. This will enable the NHS to accelerate service integration to deliver the vision of more integrated care delivered closer to home, as set out in 'NHS 2010-2015: from good to great. Preventative, people-centred, productive'.
	The 'Operating Framework 2010/11' and 'NHS 2010-2015: from good to great. Preventative, people-centred, productive' have already been placed in the Library and are also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/index.htm

Health: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what comparative information on health inequalities in Islington his Department holds on  (a) teenage pregnancy,  (b) infant mortality,  (c) life expectancy,  (d) obesity and  (e) HIV/AIDS in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) 2000, (iv) 2005 and (v) the latest date for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The data are not available in the requested format.
	Information relevant to teenage pregnancy and infant mortality is not held centrally.
	However, data is available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
	The information requested on obesity is not held centrally. However, data on obesity in adults and children in England has been published in the Health Survey for England. However, data on the number of obese adults and children in Islington is unavailable.
	The following table provides ONS data for life expectancy in Islington and England. Life expectancy data for Islington are not available for 1989-91.
	The following tables provides Health Protection Agency Information on those affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency (HIV/AIDS) within the Islington Primary Care Trust (PCT) area.
	
		
			  Life expectancy at birth (years), Islington local authority and England 
			   1991-1993  1994-1996  1999-2001  2004-2006  2006-2008 
			 Males, Islington 71 72 73 75 75 
			 Males, England 74 74 76 77 78 
			   
			 Females, Islington 78 78 79 80 81 
			 Females, England 79 80 80 82 82 
			  Notes: 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest integer. 2 All figures are three-year averages, produced by aggregating the number of deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates across each three-year period. 3 Figures are period life expectancies at birth. Period expectation of life at birth for an area in a given time period is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the particular area's age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. It is not therefore the number of years a newborn baby in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those born In the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives. 4 All figures are calculated using abridged life tables. Deaths of non-residents are excluded from the data for England. (The England figures presented here may differ slightly from figures quoted elsewhere based on National Interim Life Tables, which are calculated using complete life tables and include deaths of non-residents).  Source:  Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	Information on numbers of individuals newly diagnosed with HIV or AIDS in Islington PCT and individuals accessing HIV-related care in Islington PCT are presented by sex, age at diagnosis, probable route of infection and ethnic group in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Islington PCT; new HIV and first AIDS diagnoses by year of diagnosis 
			  PCT of diagnosis  Report type  Year of diagnosis 
			1990  1995  2000  2005  2008 
			 Islington PCT HIV diagnoses (1) 30 46 25 56 14 
			  AIDS diagnoses (1) 12 16 5 5 0 
			 (1) A further eight individuals diagnosed with HIV in the Camden and Islington area and seven individuals diagnosed with AIDS were reported, however it is not possible to determine which PCT these individuals were diagnosed in. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Islington PCT; by year of diagnosis and sex 
			Year of diagnosis 
			  Report type and sex   1990  1995  2000  2005  2008 
			 HIV diagnoses Men 25 29 12 28 8 
			  Women 5 17 13 28 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Islington PCT; by year and age at diagnosis 
			  Report type and age at diagnosis   Year of diagnosis 
			1990  1995  2000  2005  2008 
			 HIV diagnoses 20 5 5 5 5 0 
			  20-34 18 26 15 21 7 
			  35-44 8 14 5 20 5 
			  45-54 5 5 5 7 5 
			  55+ 5 5 5 5 5 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Islington PCT; by year of diagnosis and probable route of infection 
			Year of diagnosis 
			  Report type and sex   1990  1995  2000  2005  2008 
			 HIV diagnoses Sex between men 20 18 7 15 5 
			  Heterosexual contact 6 25 16 37 8 
			  Other 5 5 5 5 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Islington PCT; by year of diagnosis and ethnicity 
			Year of diagnosis 
			  Report type and sex   1990  1995  2000  2005  2008 
			 HIV diagnoses White 14 19 10 13 5 
			  Black African 5 10 10 30 5 
			  Other 5 5 5 9 5 
			  Notes: 1. Diagnoses are from reports received to end June 2009. Numbers; will rise as further reports are received. 2. Patients may live with HIV for many years before they are diagnosed. Therefore, new diagnosis data does not necessarily reflect recently acquired infections.  3. Areas when presented are area of diagnoses and not of residence. 4. Cells with counts under five have been masked to avoid the risk of deductive disclosure of an individual's identity. 5. AIDS diagnoses relate to a person's first diagnosis of an AIDS defining illness (subsequent diagnoses are not recorded). 6. AIDS diagnoses were not presented by sex, age, ethnicity or probable route of infection as numbers were too low. 7. With the Whittington hospital being the only major diagnosing site located within Islington Primary care Trust (PCT), it is highly probable that persons resident within Islington PCT are being diagnosed in neighbouring PCTs. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 6: number of diagnosed HIV-infected patients accessing care, resident in Islington PCT, by age group: 2000, 2005 and 2008 
			   0-14  15-24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55+  Total 
			 2000 10 9 234 276 58 22 609 
			 2005 12 24 223 524 182 53 1018 
			 2008 5 35 198 588 319 92 1,237 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 7: number of diagnosed HIV-infected patients accessing care, resident in Islington PCT, by ethnic group: 2000, 2005 and 2008 
			   White  Black-Caribbean  Black-African  Black other  Indian/Pakistani /Bangladeshi  Other/mixed  Not known  Total 
			 2000 465 6 72 11 6 44 5 609 
			 2005 701 28 176 18 8 74 13 1,018 
			 2008 823 38 206 21 14 101 34 1,237 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 8: number of diagnosed HIV-infected patients accessing care, resident in Islington PCT, by route of infection: 2000, 2005 and 2008 
			   Sex between men  Injecting drug use  Heterosexual sex  Other  Not known  Total 
			 2000 444 37 112 14 5 608-611 
			 2005 716 44 230 20 8 1,018 
			 2008 823 47 281 18 68 1,237 
			  Notes: 1. Cells with counts under five have been masked to avoid the ris;k of deductive disclosure of an individual's identity. 2. Data are not available for 1990 and 1995. 3. With the Whittington Hospital being the only major diagnosing site located within Islington PCT, it is highly probable that persons resident within Islington PCT are being diagnosed in neighbouring PCTs  Source:  Health Protection Agency

Home Care Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of any unintended consequences of plans to provide free personal care at home for those in greatest need; and what steps his Department is taking to mitigate any such unintended consequences.

Phil Hope: The assessments made by the Department for the Personal Care at Home Bill are set out in the impact assessment, which has already been placed in the Library. The Department is committed to reviewing the policy within 12-18 months; any unintended or unforeseen consequences will be examined at that time.

Home Care Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 385-6W, on home care services, for what reason the Personal Social Services EX1 return cost of care per hour was not used in respect of the Personal Care at Home Bill.

Phil Hope: The latest Personal Social Services EX1 return (PSS EX1), provisional 2008-09 data, shows that, for adults and older people receiving home care, the hourly cost is £15 per hour (sample week activity).
	The hourly cost of care used in the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) model is based on this figure, but has been adjusted to £15.75 per hour at 2011-12 prices. We have used the PSSRU modelling, since it is specialist independent analysis, using a microsimulation model constructed to produce analyses for the Care and Support Green Paper and White Paper.

Home Care Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what methodology was used to calculate the 6.54 figure for the average number of hours of personal care per week on page 16 of the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill.

Phil Hope: The figure of 6.54 hours per week is drawn from the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) modelling, which is in turn rooted in current patterns of care. The PSSRU model shows an average package of community-based care for those in the critical Fair Access to Care Services category of around 8.7 hours per week. The PSSRU assumes, on the basis of Personal Social Services EX1 return (PSS EX1) data, that 74 per cent. of this package-around 6.5 hours per week-is home care. The Department then assumes that around 85 per cent. of the home care hours-around 5.5 hours per week on average-is personal care.
	The cost estimate for the Personal Care at Home Bill implies eight hours of personal care per week for new entrants to publicly funded care. This is because the Department has made more generous allowance for the demand effects of free personal care than the PSSRU modelling.

Home Care Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from which budgets he expects his Department's contribution to the funding of free personal care at home to be made; and by how much in each such case.

Phil Hope: Changes to planned expenditure in 2010-11 to cover the Department's contribution to the funding of the Personal Care at Home Bill include nearly £50 million from indicative advertising and communications spending, over £60 million from management consultancy spending and over £20 million in reduced administration costs.
	In addition, a saving of £62 million will be achieved by transferring responsibility for research activity from other departmental budgets to the Department's ring-fenced research and development budget. That budget will rise to over £1 billion in 2010-11. The research it currently funds will continue as planned.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has received recent reports that GPs in some areas are delaying referrals to hospital for treatment in order to meet waiting time targets.

Mike O'Brien: The Department is not aware of recent reports that general practitioners (GPs) in some areas are delaying referrals to hospital for treatment in order to meet waiting time targets.
	GPs have a duty to ensure that patient referrals are based on clinical need. Our policy is clear: all patients should be treated without unnecessary delay according to their clinical need.

Independent Sector Treatment Centres Programme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on each stage of the independent sector treatment centres programme to date; and what percentage of contract activities such centres have undertaken at each such stage.

Mike O'Brien: The Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) programme was procured in two stages known as Wave One and Phase Two.
	Payments for activity have been made to ISTC providers as follows:
	Wave One £1,324.7 million and Phase Two £227.5 million (as at 31 December 2009).
	The utilisation of ISTCs is continuing to improve and at the end of 2009 stood at 86 per cent. for Wave One and 78 per cent. for Phase Two.

Leukaemia: Drugs

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support will be given to people diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia if the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommends against the use of the drugs dasatinib and nilotinib.

Ann Keen: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not yet published final guidance on the use of dasatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) that is resistant to imatinib. NICE has published draft guidance and stakeholders now have until 2 March to comment on NICE'S recommendations.
	Alternative treatment options for CML that is resistant to imatinib include interferon alfa, hydroxycarbamide or best supportive care. Guidance on best supportive care for patients with CML is set out in the NICE guidance Improving outcomes in haematological cancers, published in 2003.

National Care Service

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the cost of the introduction of a national care service.

Phil Hope: The most recent estimate of the cost of proposals for reform of the care and support system as set out in the Green Paper, 'Shaping the Future of Care Together', were published in the Green Paper Impact Assessment available online at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_102338
	Copies have already been placed in the Library.
	Details of the costs and benefits of reform of the care and support system will be set out in more detail in our White Paper to be published this year.

NHS

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances social enterprises can tender for provision of NHS services; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Where commissioners decide to procure services through competitive tender, all providers should have a fair and equal opportunity to bid. Further guidance will be set out in a revised PCT Procurement Guide, due to be published shortly.

NHS

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines apply to the operation of the NHS as a preferred provider; and whether those guidelines make provision for mutual providers.

Mike O'Brien: Guidance will be set out in detail in a revised PCT procurement guide due to be published shortly.

NHS Direct

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of a call to NHS Direct was in 2009.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not collected. Calls to NHS Direct cost a maximum of 5p per minute from a BT landline. Mobiles and other networks may vary.

NHS: Capital Expenditure

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for NHS capital expenditure beyond 2010-11.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not yet available. Expenditure beyond 2010-11 will be agreed as part of the next spending review. As set out in pre-Budget report December 2009 paragraph 6.23:
	the Government is not doing a spending review at this stage.

NHS: Complaints

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which body complaints about chairs of NHS hospital trusts should be directed.

Ann Keen: The nature of the individual complaint determines the body to which the complaint should be directed.
	Complaints relating to the functions of a national health service trust may be sent directly to that trust, which is responsible for investigating complaints in respect of those functions; if relevant, this includes the actions of the NHS trust board.
	Complaints about the conduct or performance of the chair should be referred to the NHS trust in the first instance. If the correspondent is dissatisfied with the NHS trust's response, the matter should then be referred to the relevant strategic health authority (SHA) chair, who will investigate the matter. If an SHA chair feels the allegations are serious enough to warrant possible suspension or termination of the chair's appointment, he or she will refer the case to the Appointments Commission.

NHS: Finance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change to his Department's funding for  (a) NHS foundation trusts and  (b) primary care trusts is between financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12; and when the trusts were notified of these changes.

Mike O'Brien: On 8 December 2008 primary care trusts (PCTs) were informed of their revenue allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11. The allocations are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			 Total PCT revenue allocations (£ billion) 80 84 
			 Increase on previous year (£ billion) 4.2 4.4 
			 Increase on previous year (percentage) 5.5 5.5 
		
	
	PCT revenue allocations for 2011-12 onwards are yet to be determined. However, as announced in the pre-Budget report in December of last year, front-line national health service spending will rise in line with inflation for the following two years to 2012-13.
	The Department does not make allocations directly to foundation trusts. It is for PCTs to use the funding allocated to them to commission services from foundation trusts and other providers to meet the needs of their local populations.

NHS: Manpower

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the points-based immigration system on the NHS's ability to recruit specialist consultants from outside the European Economic Area.

Ann Keen: The national health service is able to recruit specialist consultants through the points-based system either through tier 1 or, where there is no suitable United Kingdom or European economic area applicant, through tier 2.
	Consultants in some specialities are on the tier 2 shortage occupation list which means their recruitment can be fast-tracked and does not require a full resident labour market test.

Nurses

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the post-operative nurse to patient ratio is for high risk operations at  (a) The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and  (b) Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Nurses: Cancer

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of plans to provide specialist cancer nurses for all 1.6 million people in England who have or who have had cancer; and from which budget it will be funded.

Ann Keen: We are investing £20 million in 2011-12 to work with Macmillan to introduce more specialist cancer nurse posts. The £20 million has been found from funding released from programmes launched by the Next Stage review, which will either have been implemented fully by 2011-12, or which funded development activities which are now reaching a planned conclusion.
	Current estimates are that up to half of cancer patients do not have one-to-one support. We will be looking at possible new models of care, which will have an impact on the number of new nurses needed.

Nurses: Cancer

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of specialist cancer nurses required to provide support at home for all 1.6 million people in England who have or who have had cancer; how many such nurses would require training; and what estimate he has made of the number of hours per week each person requiring such support would need.

Ann Keen: Current estimates are that up to half of cancer patients do not have one-to-one support, which could mean that we would need to double the number of people who provide such support. We are currently carrying out a detailed assessment of work force needs. This includes considering different possible models and levels of support, which may vary according to where someone is on the patient pathway.
	It is likely that most of the additional work force will need to receive training, and we will be looking at what needs to be done to ensure that the work force is appropriately trained.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to introduce free prescriptions for all those with long-term medical conditions; and what his most recent estimate is of the cost to his Department.

Mike O'Brien: Professor Gilmore has now submitted his report on exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges to the Department. The recommendations are currently being considered. The cost of introducing the new exemption will depend on how the changes are phased in. We will publish our response shortly.

Royal Liverpool Hospital

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in his consideration of proposals for the rebuilding of the Royal Liverpool Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Outline Business Case (OBC) for the £453 million private finance initiative proposal to redevelop Royal Liverpool university hospital is currently with the Department for approval. Subject to approval by departmental officials and Ministers the OBC will then go to the Treasury for approval.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2009,  Official Report, column 294W, on social services, if he will place in the Library a copy of the legal advice.

Phil Hope: Legal advice to the Government is confidential, and is covered by legal professional privilege. This enables the Government to obtain full and frank legal advice. For this reason, the Department does not intend to publish any legal advice it has received on this matter.

Strokes: Children

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce  (a) an audit of stroke care for children and  (b) a national registration system for childhood stroke; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: It is for the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) who manage the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP) on behalf of the Department to invite applications for new clinical audits each year, subject to the funding being available. The details are on their website at:
	www.hqip.org.uk/national-clinical-audit/
	All new applications are considered by The National Clinical Audit Advisory Group (NCAAG) which advises the Department on the NCAPOP. NCAAG has set out advice on the criteria to be used to prioritise topics for new national clinical audits. This is available from the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/ab/NCAAG/index.htm

Strokes: Children

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent financial support his Department has provided for research into the causes, outcomes and treatment of childhood stroke.

Gillian Merron: Two National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) biomedical research centres(1) are undertaking research on aspects of childhood stroke. Their estimated spend on the topic is £370,000 over the two years 2007 to 2009.
	The NIHR clinical research network is currently providing NHS research infrastructure support to one study concerned with the outcome of childhood stroke.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) meanwhile is not funding research specifically relating to the condition. However, the MRC funds a broad portfolio of more general stroke related research on which £10.1 million was spent in 2008-09. It includes basic and underpinning research that may increase understanding of the condition in childhood.
	(1) Hammersmith Hospitals and St. Mary's Hospital National Health Service Trusts/Imperial College London; and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS trust/University College London Institute of Child Health.

Strokes: Children

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when his Department expects to implement in full the Royal College of Physicians' clinical guidance on childhood stroke; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to raise public and professional awareness of childhood stroke;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to increase support for carers of those affected by childhood stroke.

Ann Keen: Implementation of the Royal College of Physicians' clinical guidance is a local responsibility. It is for commissioners, in consultation with their providers, to specify services for their local populations on the basis of need, including children and young people.
	The Government's policy document, 'Healthy lives, brighter futures: the strategy for children and young peoples health', raises awareness of the need to address rare and complex conditions in childhood and includes a commitment to make sure that, by 2010, all children with complex health needs will have individual care plans to support co-ordinated care. Work is in hand to ensure this commitment is met.
	Support for the carers of children with complex conditions is a key feature of care plans. We are moving towards a situation where families can expect 24/7 access to advice and support from Community Children's Nursing Teams; a single lead professional for the family, who can liaise with the various agencies involved in delivering national health service care, and an integrated package of care.
	As a further step, the Department will shortly publish the final version of the National Framework for Children and Young People's Continuing Care. This will help with assessing the continuing health care needs of children and young people, and with considering the bespoke packages of care that will be required to meet those needs.

Tetra: Health Hazards

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent evidence he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects on human health of Tetra masts;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on the health effects of Tetra masts on members of the public.

Gillian Merron: The Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research programme, funded by Government and industry, commissioned a study by Essex University concerning exposure of volunteers to radiofrequency signals typical of those from Tetra masts. The outcome of this study was published on 14 January 2010 in a paper, title Do TETRA (Airwave) base station signals have a short-term impact on health and well-being? A randomized double-blind provocation study by Wallace and co-workers in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. This paper can be obtained online at:
	http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2 Fehp.0901416
	The Department has received around 11 items of correspondence about Tetra signals from members of the public, either direct or through their MP.

Tuberculosis: Drugs

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what processes his Department has put in place to ensure that the supply of antituberculosis drugs in the UK is not interrupted.

Mike O'Brien: We are not aware of any current shortages of antituberculosis medicines. Due to the complex nature of pharmaceutical production, medicines supply problems can unexpectedly arise for a number of reasons. The Department and the Pharmaceutical Industry have produced joint best practice guidelines which are designed to help minimise the impact of medicine shortages and discontinuations. The guidelines give advice to companies and encourage early exchange of information. This allows consideration of the options that are available to help ensure that patients continue to get the medicines they need.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure a redistribution of Adult Safeguarded Learning funds as part of the transfer of responsibility for informal learning from the Learning and Skills Council to the Skills Funding Agency.

Kevin Brennan: LSC funding for this type of provision is part of a much wider and more complex funding framework and any proposals for redistribution would need to be considered in this wider context.
	The White Paper made it clear that a concerted and sustained effort from partners and stakeholders at national and local levels would be required to bring the Learning Revolution vision to life. The new funding and planning arrangements set out in Chapter 4 of The Learning Revolution are playing a key role in this transformation and so from August 2011 the Skills Funding Agency will channel funding for informal adult learning in local or sub-regional areas through identified Lead Accountable Bodies. We will invite all local authorities to take part in these new arrangements.
	We are working closely with the Local Government Association, the Local Education Authorities Forum for the Education of Adults, the Association of Colleges, Ofsted and other delivery partners to develop a Lead Accountable Body model that will enable local authorities to discharge this pivotal leadership role. Accepting the role of Lead Accountable Body will enable local authorities to better position their own resources alongside those of the Skills Funding Agency, as part of a local learning infrastructure. This in turn will help to promote the wider personalisation agenda across a number of fronts, and enable other local services, like libraries, to play an important role in broadening choice for local people.

Debit Cards: Protection

Tom Clarke: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to provide statutory protection to consumers in respect of debit card purchases in circumstances in which a company enters administration without having provided the goods or services purchased.

Kevin Brennan: As announced in the Consumer White Paper, A Better Deal for Consumers, in July 2009, the Government is reassessing the regulatory framework for prepayments, and that includes looking at the effectiveness of the protection offered by debit cards. A number of proposals are being considered and the Government hope to be in position to announce its findings shortly.

Departmental Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in 2009.

Patrick McFadden: Central records indicate that the Department paid a total of £6,354,203 in external consultancy fees since its inception (announced on 5 June 2009) to 31 December 2009.
	Further details, including provision of non-departmental public body information, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond directly to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 25 February 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question on how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in 2009.
	The Insolvency Service spent £155,584.50 on external consultants and advisers in 2009.
	 Letter from Tim Moss, dated 15 February 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 9 February 2010, UIN 317252 to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House spent £152,499 on external consultants and advisers in 2009.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 16 February 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 09 February 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spent £105,000 on consultants and advisors in 2009.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 24 February 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much was spent on external consultants and advisers in 2009.
	Using the OGC definition of those who supply advice related to the Agency's strategy, structure, management or operations, our records indicate that in the Calendar Year 2009 the National Measurement Office paid £85,502.10 to external consultants and advisers.

Energy

Evan Harris: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure effective use of the UK's expertise in fusion energy research.

David Lammy: The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has the responsibility for the funding of magnetic confinement fusion research while the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funds laser-driven or inertial confinement fusion research.
	EPSRC and STFC have recently updated the Research Council's strategy for the support of fusion research, assisted by an Expert Group chaired by Professor Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield University. The Expert Group's vision for fusion, and the key points of the new fusion strategy, have been published on the websites of EPSRC and STFC.

Erasmus

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the UK has contributed to the budget of the Erasmus programme in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The UK makes no direct financial contribution to the budget of the European Commission's Erasmus programme which is funded through the Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme. This Department (and its predecessors) has paid an annual management fee to a national agent, currently the British Council, to manage the delivery of the programme across the UK on behalf of the Government.

Erasmus

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK students resident in the UK have participated in the Erasmus scheme since 1997.

David Lammy: The following table shows number of UK students who have participated in the Erasmus scheme since 1997.
	
		
			  Academic year  UK students participating in Erasmus 
			 1996/97 10,537 
			 1997/98 10,582 
			 1998/99 9,994 
			 1999/2000 10,056 
			 2000/01 9,020 
			 2001/02 8,475 
			 2002/03 7,973 
			 2003/04 7,539 
			 2004/05 7,214 
			 2005/06 7,131 
			 2006/07 7,235 
			 2007/08 10,278 
			 2008/09 10,827 
			  Source: The European Commission statistics: http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus/doc920_en.htm except 2008/09 and 2009/10, where the data is the latest estimates from the British Council and is subject to confirmation. 
		
	
	Early indications show that in the current academic year (2009/10), 11,302 UK students will take part in Erasmus.

Higher Education: Admissions

Michael Gove: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 605-10W, on higher education: admissions, what proportion of pupils in receipt of free school meals in 2002-03 who progressed to higher education in 2006-07 attended a  (a) school,  (b) further education college and  (c) sixth form college before entering higher education.

David Lammy: The information is not available in the form requested.

Higher Education: Further Education

Phil Willis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which universities have withdrawn funding for higher education provided in further education colleges in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Following our 2006 White Paper Further Education: Improving Skills, Raising Life Chances, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) introduced a code of practice for franchised provision of higher education in further education colleges. HEFCE do not monitor individual franchise agreements between higher education institutions and further education colleges. However, the data provided in the table show that the total number of higher education institutions franchising to a further education college has remained fairly constant since 2006-07, while the number of students franchised from a higher education institution to a further education college has increased between 2006-07 and 2009-10.
	
		
			  Students franchised from HEIs to FECs 
			  Academic year  Number of institutions franchising to a FEC  Headcount of franchised students 
			 2006-07 63 50,140 
			 2007-08 62 51,340 
			 2008-09 60 54,095 
			 2009-10 64 63,938 
			  Source: HESES.

Higher Education: Part-time Education

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many part-time students are in their  (a) first,  (b) final and  (c) other year of an undergraduate degree course.

David Lammy: In the 2008/09 academic year there were 70,195 part-time first degree students in their first year of study and 135,000 students in any other year of study. It is not possible to accurately identify final year students as course timescales can vary, particularly for part-time students. However 36,855 part-time first degree students qualified in 2008/09. This will discount students who completed their final year, but did not qualify.

Motor Vehicles: Government Assistance

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many vehicles have been purchased under the Vehicle Scrappage Scheme to date.

Ian Lucas: By 14 February 2010, BIS had received 355,305 orders for new vehicles under the scrappage scheme.

Motor Vehicles: Government Assistance

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effects of the Vehicle Scrappage Scheme on the volume of carbon dioxide emissions.

Ian Lucas: No detailed assessment has been made by this Department. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), average CO2 emissions of a car bought through the scheme was 133.3 g/km, almost 10 per cent. below the overall new car market average and 26.8 per cent. below the average figure for a scrapped car.

Multiple Sclerosis: Research

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has allocated funding for research to examine whether there is a causal relationship between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis.

David Lammy: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The MRC spent £3.4 million on research into Multiple Sclerosis in 2008-09, but is not currently funding any research specifically into chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI).
	The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health. The primary considerations in funding decisions are research excellence and importance to health; however, high quality proposals in areas of particular strategic importance may be given priority in competition for funds.
	The MRC provides opportunities for additional clinical research training fellowships through collaborations with Royal Colleges and Charity flinders including the MRC/Multiple Sclerosis Society Clinical Research Training Fellowships. One fellowship per year is available under this scheme, aimed at researchers who are involved in treating patients and who wish to pursue research into understanding and treatment of multiple sclerosis.
	Details of MRC's currently funded research can be found in the MRC research portfolio which is accessible on the MRC website at:
	http://www.mrc.ac.uk/ResearchPortfolio/index.htm

Retail Trade: Planning Permission

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to respond to the Competition Commission's recommendation on the introduction of a local competition test in planning regulations.

Kevin Brennan: Government need to consider the wider implications of this recommendation alongside the Competition Commission's (CC) detailed analysis. These are complex issues. I expect to announce my response to the CC 's recommendation on introducing a competition test into the UK planning system in due course.

Science: Expenditure

Don Touhig: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the UK's gross domestic product was spent on research and development in science in 2008-09; and what assessment he has made of likely trends in such expenditure in the next three financial years.

David Lammy: The most recent data available is for 2007 when gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) was 1.79 per cent. of gross domestic product.
	Data for 2008 is expected to be published by the Office for National Statistics in March 2010.
	The Department has made no assessment of future outturns for GERD for the period 2009-10 to 2011-12.